MAP4K4 and WT1 mediate SOX6-induced cellular senescence by synergistically activating the ATF2-TGFß2-Smad2/3 signaling pathway in cervical cancer.

SRY-box transcription factor 6 (SOX6) is a member of the SOX gene family and inhibits the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by inducing cell cycle arrest. However, the final cell fate and significance of these cell-cycle-arrested cervical cancer cells induced by SOX6 remains unclear. Here, we report that SOX6 inhibits the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by inducing cellular senescence, which is mainly mediated by promoting transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGFB2) gene expression and subsequently activating the TGFß2-Smad2/3-p53-p21WAF1/CIP1-Rb pathway. SOX6 promotes TGFB2 gene expression through the MAP4K4-MAPK (JNK/ERK/p38)-ATF2 and WT1-ATF2 pathways, which is dependent on its high-mobility group (HMG) domain. In addition, the SOX6-induced senescent cervical cancer cells are resistant to cisplatin treatment. ABT-263 (navitoclax) and ABT-199 (venetoclax), two classic senolytics, can specifically eliminate the SOX6-induced senescent cervical cancer cells, and thus significantly improve the chemosensitivity of cisplatin-resistant cervical cancer cells. This study uncovers that the MAP4K4/WT1-ATF2-TGFß2 axis mediates SOX6-induced cellular senescence, which is a promising therapeutic target in improving the chemosensitivity of cervical cancer.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes loaded miR-451a targets ATF2 to improve rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic joint inflammation, with synovial fibroblasts (SFs) playing a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) expression in SFs contributes to RA development. Exosomes (Exos) have emerged as effective carriers for therapeutic molecules, facilitating miRNA transfer between cells. This study explores the therapeutic potential of Exos derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs), loaded with miR-451a, to modulate ATF2 expression, aiming to address RA in both in vivo and in vitro settings. METHODS: In this study, hUCMSC and RA SFs were isolated and identified, and hUCMSC-Exos were extracted and characterized. The influence of hUCMSC-Exos on RA SFs was detected. And hUCMSC-Exos targeting RA SFs was traced. HUCMSCKD-AGO2 was prepared by knocking down AGO2 in hUCMSC. HUCMSCKD-AGO2-Exos was extracted and characterized,and their influence on RA SFs was detected. The miRNA profiles before and after hUCMSC-Exos intervention in RA SFs were mapped to identify differential miRNAs. RT-qPCR was used to verify the differential miRNAs, with hsa-miR-451a finally selected as the target gene. The effect of miR-451a on SFs was detected. The latent binding of miR-451a to activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) was analyzed. The effect of hUCMSC-ExosmiR-451a on SFs was detected, and the expression of miR-451a and ATF2 was measured by RT-PCR. In vivo, hUCMSC-ExosmiR-451a was injected into the ankle joint of CIA rats, and arthritis index, joint imaging and synovial pathology were assessed. The expression of miR-451a and ATF2 in synovial tissue was detected. Finally, the safety of hUCMSC-ExosmiR-451a in CIA rats was evaluated. RESULTS: This study revealed that hUCMSC-Exos can inhibit RA SFs proliferation, migration and invasion through miRNAs. High throughput sequencing detected 13 miRNAs that could be transmitted from hUCMSCs to RA SFs via hUCMSC-Exos. miR-451a inhibited RA SFs proliferation, migration and invasion by regulating ATF2. hUCMSC-Exos loaded with miR-451a targeted ATF2 to inhibit RA SFs proliferation, migration and invasion, and improve joint inflammation and imaging findings in CIA rats. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that miR-451a carried by hUCMSC-Exos can play a role in inhibiting RA SFs biological traits and improving arthritis in CIA rats by inhibiting ATF2. The findings suggest a promising treatment for RA and provide insights into the mechanism of action of hUCMSC-Exos in RA. Future research directions will continue to explore the potential in this field.

The ATF2/miR-3913-5p/CREB5 axis is involved in the cell proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Various miRNAs have been shown to participate in the tumor progression and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of miR-3913-5p in CRC are yet to be clearly defined. In the present study, we determine that miR-3913-5p is downregulated in CRC cell lines and CRC tissues. Exogenous miR-3913-5p expression weakens the CRC cells growth, migration and invasion. Mechanistically, miR-3913-5p directly targets the 3'UTR of CREB5. Overexpression of CREB5 reverses the suppression of CRC cells proliferation, migration and invasion induced by miR-3913-5p. Furthermore, ATF2 negatively regulates the transcription of miR-3913-5p by binding to its promoter. CREB5 can cooperate with ATF2. CREB5 is required for ATF2 in regulating miR-3913-5p. Finally, inverse correlations can be found between the expressions of miR-3913-5p and CREB5 or ATF2 in CRC tissues. Thus, a plausible mechanism of ATF2/miR-3913-5p/CREB5 axis regulating CRC progression is elucidated. Our findings suggest that miR-3913-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in CRC. ATF2/miR-3913-5p/CREB5 axis might be a potential therapeutic target against CRC progression.

ATF2 orchestrates macrophage differentiation and activation to promote antibacterial responses.

The differentiation and activation of macrophages are critical regulatory programs that are central to host inflammation and pathogen defense. However, the transcriptional regulatory pathways involved in these programs are not well understood. Herein, we demonstrate that the activity and expression of the transcription factor ATF2 is precisely regulated during primary human monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and that its activation is linked to M1 polarization and antibacterial responses. Genetic perturbation experiments demonstrated that deletion of ATF2 (THP-ΔATF2) resulted in irregular and abnormal macrophage morphology, whereas macrophages overexpressing ATF2 (THP-ATF2) developed round and pancake-like morphology, resembling classically activated (M1) macrophages. Mechanistically, we show that ATF2 binds to the core promoter of PPM1A, a phosphatase that regulates monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation, to regulate its expression. Functionally, overexpression of ATF2 sensitized macrophages to M1 polarization, resulting in increased production of major histocompatibility complex class II, IL-1ß, and IP-10; improved phagocytic capacity; and enhanced control of the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Gene expression profiling revealed that overexpression of ATF2 reprogramed macrophages to promote antibacterial pathways enriched in chemokine signaling, metabolism, and antigen presentation. Consistent with pathways analysis, metabolic profiling revealed that genetic overexpression or stimuli-induced activation of ATF2 alters the metabolic capacity of macrophages and primes these cells for glycolytic metabolism during M1 polarization or bacterial infection. Our findings reveal that ATF2 plays a central role during macrophage differentiation and M1 polarization to enhance the functional capacities of macrophages.

The transcription factor ATF2 promotes gastric cancer progression by activating the METTL3/cyclin D1 pathway.

Globally, gastric cancer (GC) is a major cause of cancer death. This study is aimed at investigating the biological functions of activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) and the underlying mechanism in GC. In the present work, GEPIA, UALCAN, Human Protein Atlas and StarBase databases were adopted to analyze ATF2 expression characteristics in GC tissues and normal gastric tissues, and its relationships with tumor grade and patients' survival time. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method was employed to examine ATF2 mRNA expression in normal gastric tissues, GC tissues, and GC cell lines. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU assays were utilized for detecting GC cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. PROMO database was applied to predict the binding site of ATF2 with the METTL3 promoter region. The binding relationship between ATF2 and the METTL3 promoter region was verified through dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) assay. Western blot was performed to evaluate the effect of ATF2 on METTL3 expression. METTL3-related signaling pathways were predicted using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) in the LinkedOmics database. It was found that, ATF2 level was elevated in GC tissues and cell lines in comparison with normal tissues and correlated with short patients' survival time. ATF2 overexpression facilitated GC cell growth and suppressed the apoptosis, whereas ATF2 knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation and facilitated the apoptosis. ATF2 bound to the METTL3 promoter region, and ATF2 overexpression promoted the transcription of METTL3, and ATF2 knockdown restrained the transcription of METTL3. METTL3 was associated with cell cycle progression, and ATF2 overexpression enhanced cyclin D1 expression, and METTL3 knockdown reduced cyclin D1 expression. In summary, ATF2 facilitates GC cell proliferation and suppresses the apoptosis via activating the METTL3/cyclin D1 signaling pathway, and ATF2 is promising to be an anti-drug target for GC.

Amentoflavone attenuates cell proliferation and induces ferroptosis in human gastric cancer by miR-496/ATF2 axis.

Amentoflavone (AF) is a natural multifunctional biflavonoid that has been revealed to possess multiple biological activities, including anticancer activity. Here, this work focused on exploring the functions and mechanism of AF in gastric cancer (GC). Levels of genes and proteins were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Cell proliferation and cell death were analyzed using cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, respectively. Cell ferroptosis was evaluated by detecting the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), Fe2+ , and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The binding between miR-496 and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) was confirmed by using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Murine xenograft assay was conducted for in vivo experiments. The results showed that AF suppressed the proliferation and induced ferroptotic cell death in GC cells. MiR-496 expression was decreased in GC tissues and cells, and AF treatment increased miR-496 expression level in GC cells. Functionally, miR-496 inhibition reversed the inhibitory effects of AF on GC cell proliferation and promoting effects on ferroptotic cell death. Mechanistically, ATF2 was targeted by miR-496. ATF2 expression was increased in GC tissues and cells, which was decreased by AF treatment and subsequently rescued by miR-496 downregulation in GC cells. Moreover, miR-496 overexpression suppressed the proliferation and induced ferroptotic cell death in GC cells via targeting ATF2. In all, AF suppressed the proliferation and induced ferroptotic cell death in GC cells via miR-496/ATF2 axis, indicating a novel therapeutic approach for GC patients.

ATF2 loss promotes 5-FU resistance in colon cancer cells via activation of the ATR-Chk1 damage response pathway.

BACKGROUND: The role of ATF2 in colon cancer (CC) is controversial. Recently, we reported that low ATF2 expression is characteristic of highly invasive tumors, suggesting that ATF2 might also be involved in therapy resistance. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the best-known chemotherapeutic drug for CC, but drug resistance affects its curative effect. To date, the role of ATF2 in the 5-FU response remains elusive. METHODS/RESULTS: For our study, we had available HCT116 cells (wild-type p53) and HT29 colon tumor cells (mutant p53) and their corresponding CRISPR‒Cas9-generated ATF2-KO clones. We observed that loss of ATF2 triggered dose- and time-dependent 5-FU resistance in HCT116 cells by activating the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway with high p-ATRThr1989 and p-Chk1Ser317 levels accompanied by an increase in the DNA damage marker γ-H2AX in vitro and in vivo using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Chk1 inhibitor studies causally displayed the link between DDR and drug resistance. There were contradictory findings in HT29 ATF2-KO cells upon 5-FU exposure with low p-Chk1Ser317 levels, strong apoptosis induction, but no effects on DNA damage. In ATF2-silenced HCT116 p53-/- cells, 5-FU did not activate the DDR pathway. Co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays revealed that upon 5-FU treatment, ATF2 binds to ATR to prevent Chk1 phosphorylation. Indeed, in silico modelling showed reduced ATR-Chk1 binding when ATF2 was docked into the complex. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated a novel ATF2 scaffold function involved in the DDR pathway. ATF2-negative cells are highly resistant due to effective ATR/Chk1 DNA damage repair. Mutant p53 seems to overwrite the tumor suppressor function of ATF2.

Inhibition of JNK/c-Jun-ATF2 Overcomes Cisplatin Resistance in Liver Cancer through down-Regulating Galectin-1.

Due to drug resistance, the clinical response to cisplatin (CDDP) from patients with liver cancer is unsatisfactory. The alleviation or overcoming of CDDP resistance is an urgent problem to be solved in clinics. Tumor cells rapidly change signal pathways to mediate drug resistance under drug exposure. Here, multiple phosphor-kinase assays were performed and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was activated in liver cancer cells treated with CDDP. The high activity of the JNK promotes poor progression and mediates cisplatin resistance in liver cancer, leading to a poor prognosis of liver cancer. Mechanistically, the highly activated JNK phosphorylated c-Jun and ATF2 formed a heterodimer to upregulate the expression of Galectin-1, leading to promoting cisplatin resistance in liver cancer. Importantly, we simulated the clinical evolution of drug resistance in liver cancer by continuous CDDP administration in vivo. In vivo bioluminescence imaging showed the activity of JNK gradually increased during this process. Moreover, the inhibition of JNK activity by small molecular or genetic inhibitors enhanced DNA damage and overcame CDDP resistance in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our results underline that the high activity of JNK/c-Jun-ATF2/Galectin-1 mediates cisplatin resistance in liver cancer and provides an optional scheme for dynamic monitoring of molecular activity in vivo.

USP14 Regulates ATF2/PIK3CD Axis to Promote Microvascular Endothelial Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Angiogenesis in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in diabetic patients. However, the pathogenesis of DR is complex, and no firm conclusions have been drawn so far. It has become a hot spot in ophthalmology research to deeply study the mechanism of DR pathological changes and find effective treatment options. Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs) were induced by high glucose (HG) to construct DR cell model. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the viability of HRMECs. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration ability of HRMECs. Tube formation assay was used to identify the tube formation ability of HRMECs. The expressions of USP14, ATF2 and PIK3CD were detected by Western blot analysis and qRT-PCR assay. Immunoprecipitation (IP) was used to ascertain the relationship of USP14 and ATF2. To explore the regulatory relationship between ATF2 and PIK3CD by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. High glucose treatment promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of HRMEC, and the expressions of USP14, ATF2 and PIK3CD were significantly up-regulated. USP14 or ATF2 knockdown inhibited HG-induced HRMECs proliferation, migration, and tube formation. USP14 regulated the expression of ATF2, and ATF2 promoted PIK3CD expression. PIK3CD overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effectiveness of USP14 knockdown on proliferation, migration and tube formation of DR cell model. Here, we revealed that USP14 regulated the ATF2/PIK3CD axis to promote proliferation, migration, and tube formation in HG-induced HRMECs.

Intravital imaging of Wnt/ß-catenin and ATF2-dependent signalling pathways during tumour cell invasion and metastasis.

Wnt signalling has been implicated as a driver of tumour cell metastasis, but less is known about which branches of Wnt signalling are involved and when they act in the metastatic cascade. Here, using a unique intravital imaging platform and fluorescent reporters, we visualised ß-catenin/TCF-dependent and ATF2-dependent signalling activities during human cancer cell invasion, intravasation and metastatic lesion formation in the chick embryo host. We found that cancer cells readily shifted between states of low and high canonical Wnt activity. Cancer cells that displayed low Wnt canonical activity showed higher invasion and intravasation potential in primary tumours and in metastatic lesions. In contrast, cancer cells showing low ATF2-dependent activity were significantly less invasive both at the front of primary tumours and in metastatic lesions. Simultaneous visualisation of both these reporters using a double-reporter cell line confirmed their complementary activities in primary tumours and metastatic lesions. These findings might inform the development of therapies that target different branches of Wnt signalling at specific stages of metastasis.

Low-dose Aspirin may Prevent Preeclampsia by Inhibiting the Expression of ATF2.

AIMS: To explore the ATF2 expression of preeclampsia patients and investigate whether the level of ATF2 expression impacted the low-dose aspirin treatment of preeclampsia patients. BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy-related hypertension disorder and refers to hypertension. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) expression of preeclampsia patients and investigate whether the level of ATF2 expression impacted the low-dose aspirin treatment of preeclampsia patients. METHODS: Firstly, we collected the plasma of normal and preeclampsia pregnancies and quantified the expressions of ATF2 by ELISA. Then we quantified the expression of the three downstream target genes of ATF2 (IL-8, IL-6 and MMP-2). Finally, we collected and quantified the interventional and observational group plasma. All data were compared by t-test (p<0.05). RESULTS: ATF2 and its target genes (IL-6, IL-8 and MMP-2) were upregulated in preeclampsia patients. In addition, ATF2 and its target genes were downregulated in the interventional group (LDA-treated group). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that LDA could inhibit ATF2 expression in preeclampsia. It suggests that ATF2 may be a potential target of LDA in the prevention of preeclampsia.

Increased ATF2 expression predicts poor prognosis and inhibits sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in gastric cancer.

Sorafenib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has an important antitumor effect as a ferroptosis inducer in multiple cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). However, the status of sorafenib as a ferroptosis inducer has recently been questioned. There is very limited information about the relationship between ferroptosis and ATF2, and the role of ATF2 in sorafenib-induced ferroptosis has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of ATF2 in sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in GC. We found that ATF2 was significantly upregulated in GC tissues and predicted a poor clinical prognosis. Silencing ATF2 significantly inhibited the malignant phenotype of GC cells. In addition, we observed that ATF2 was activated during sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in GC cells. ATF2 knockdown promoted sorafenib-induced ferroptosis, while ATF2 overexpression showed the opposite results in GC cells. Using ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq, we identified HSPH1 as a target of ATF2 and further validated it by ChIP‒qPCR analysis. HSPH1 can interact with SLC7A11 (cystine/glutamate transporter) and increase its protein stability. Importantly, knockdown of HSPH1 partly reversed the effects caused by ATF2 overexpression on sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in GC cells. In addition, the results from the tumor xenograft model showed that ATF2 knockdown can effectively enhance sorafenib sensitivity in vivo. Collectively, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which sorafenib induces ferroptosis in GC.

Activating transcription factor 2 (AccATF2) regulates tolerance to oxidative stress in Apis cerana cerana.

Activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor, plays a crucial role in immune and DNA damage response in mammals. However, the function of ATF2 in insects remains unknown. Here, we isolated the ATF2 gene from Apis cerana cerana (AccATF2) and found that AccATF2 was a main regulator of the honeybee response to oxidative stress. Our results showed that AccATF2 was highly expressed in the head, thorax and integument. AccATF2 was expressed throughout the development period of honeybees, and the highest AccATF2 transcript level was noted in brown-eyed pupae, indicating its indispensable roles in honeybee survival. Antioxidant function analysis showed that AccATF2 expression was markedly induced in response to oxidative stress caused by various environmental stresses. AccATF2 overexpression substantially enhanced the tolerance to oxidative stress of Escherichia coli cells compared with control cells. AccATF2 knockdown significantly increased the production of malondialdehyde (MDA), the transcription of antioxidant genes and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in honeybees, suggesting that AccATF2 knockdown resulted in oxidative damage to honeybees. Moreover, AccATF2 knockdown decreased honeybee resistance to oxidative stress caused by high temperature. Overall, AccATF2 plays an important role in maintaining redox homeostasis and protecting honeybees from oxidative stress caused by various environmental stimuli. Our discoveries add to a growing understanding of how honeybees cope with various adverse environmental conditions to ensure their survival.

lncRNA PINK1-AS Aggravates Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Oxidative Stress Injury through Regulating ATF2 by Sponging miR-203.

Ischemic stroke is a common disease that led to high mortality and high disability. NADPH oxidase 2- (NOX2-) mediated oxidative stress and long noncoding RNA have important roles in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury, whereas whether there is interplay between them remains to be clarified. This study was performed to observe the role of lncRNA PINK1-antisense RNA (PINK1-AS) in NOX2 expression regulation. An in vivo rat model (MCAO) and an in vitro cell model (H/R: hypoxia/reoxygenation) were utilized for CI/R oxidative stress injury investigation. The expression levels of lncRNA PINK1-AS, activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), NOX2, and caspase-3 and the production level of ROS and cell apoptosis were significantly increased in CI/R injury model rats or in H/R-induced SH-SY5Y cells, but miR-203 was significantly downregulated. There was positive correlation between PINK1-AS expression level and ROS production level. PINK1-AS and ATF2 were found to be putative targets of miR-203. Knockdown of lncRNA PINK1-AS or ATF2 or the overexpression of miR-203 significantly reduced oxidative stress injury via inhibition of NOX2. Overexpression of lncRNA PINK1 significantly led to oxidative stress injury in SH-SY5Y cells through downregulating miR-203 and upregulating ATF2 and NOX2. lncRNA PINK1-AS and ATF2 were the targets of miR-203, and the lncRNA PINK1-AS/miR-203/ATF2/NOX2 axis plays pivotal roles in CI/R injury. Therefore, lncRNA PINK1-AS is a possible target for CR/I injury therapy by sponging miR-203.

SNHG5/miR-299-5p/ATF2 Axis as a Biomarker in Immune Microenvironment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Methods: The data sets of GSE56081 and GSE63492 in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used for screening and analysis, and the key gene markers were verified by GSE34095 and GSE126883. Finally, the infiltration of immune cells in the data were analyzed by MCPcounter analysis package. Results: In this study, a ceRNA containing 15 lncRNAs, 9 miRNAs, and 103 mRNAs was constructed. After multimodel screening and verification, key gene marker was found, namely, ATF2. The lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis closely related to ATF2 have also been found, namely, SNHG5/miR-299-5p/ATF2. In the analysis of immune infiltration, ATF2 was negatively correlated with T cells but positively correlated with neutrophils and endothelial cells. Conclusion: The SNHG5/miR-299-5p/ATF2 can be used as biomarker of IDD, and infiltration of immune cells plays an important role in the pathological development of IDD. In addition, as a marker of IDD, the involvement of the above-mentioned axis in the pathological development of IDD remains to be further explored.

ATF2 loss promotes tumor invasion in colorectal cancer cells via upregulation of cancer driver TROP2.

In cancer, the activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) has pleiotropic functions in cellular responses to growth stimuli, damage, or inflammation. Due to only limited studies, the significance of ATF2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well understood. We report that low ATF2 levels correlated with worse prognosis and tumor aggressiveness in CRC patients. NanoString gene expression and ChIP analysis confirmed trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) as a novel inhibitory ATF2 target gene. This inverse correlation was further observed in primary human tumor tissues. Immunostainings revealed that high intratumoral heterogeneity for ATF2 and TROP2 expression was sustained also in liver metastasis. Mechanistically, our in vitro data of CRISPR/Cas9-generated ATF2 knockout (KO) clones revealed that high TROP2 levels were critical for cell de-adhesion and increased cell migration without triggering EMT. TROP2 was enriched in filopodia and displaced Paxillin from adherens junctions. In vivo imaging, micro-computer tomography, and immunostainings verified that an ATF2KO/TROP2high status triggered tumor invasiveness in in vivo mouse and chicken xenograft models. In silico analysis provided direct support that ATF2low/TROP2high expression status defined high-risk CRC patients. Finally, our data demonstrate that ATF2 acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting the cancer driver TROP2. Therapeutic TROP2 targeting might prevent particularly the first steps in metastasis, i.e., the de-adhesion and invasion of colon cancer cells.

Activating transcription factor 2 promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing the activation of the WHSC1-mediated TOP2A/PI3K/AKT axis.

Activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) is a tumor driver gene implicated in several human malignancies. This study aimed to determine the roles of ATF2 and its related molecules in the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to the Pan-cancer bioinformatics system, ATF2 is highly expressed in HCC. An increase in the expression of ATF2 was identified in clinically collected tumor tissues and procured HCC cells. The silencing of ATF2 reduced the viability, colony formation, invasion, and death resistance of HepG2 and SNU-398 cells in vitro. ATF2 promoted the transcription of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 (WHSC1) by binding to its promoter. WHSC1 further increased the expression of DNA topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) in HCC by inducing the dimethylation of histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36me2) in the TOP2A promoter region. TOP2A activated the oncogenic PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Further overexpression of WHSC1 activated the TOP2A/PI3K/AKT axis and restored the malignant behaviors of HCC cells suppressed by ATF2 silencing in vitro. In summary, this study demonstrated that, depending on WHSC1, ATF2 can activate the TOP2A/PI3K/AKT signaling cascade to promote the tumorigenesis of HCC. ATF2, WHSC1, and TOP2A may serve as potential targets in managing HCC.

CircFN1 upregulation initiated oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation and migration in trophoblasts via circFN1-miR-19a/b-3p-ATF2 ceRNA network.

Recently, the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE) has been developed from the perspective of circular RNA, microRNA and their crosstalk in placental oxidative stress. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting detected expression of circular RNA-fibronectin 1 (circFN1; ID hsa_circ_0058152), microRNA (miR)-19a/b-3p and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyzed the predictive value of circFN1. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration were measured using superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA) assay kits, Annexin V/Prodium iodide and western blotting methods, MTS and EdU assays, and scratch wound assay, respectively. Target relationships were retrieved by miRNA target prediction software and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down. Expression of circFN1 was upregulated in the serum of PE pregnancies, and the area under the ROC curve of serum circFN1 was 0.7826 (95% confidence interval: 0.6495-0.9157; sensitivity 86.96%; specificity 56%). Functionally, its upregulation decreased SOD activity, cell viability, EdU incorporation, migration rate, and Bcl-2 expression in human trophoblast HTR-8/SV-neo cells, but meanwhile increased MDA level, apoptosis rate, and Bax and cleaved-caspase3 expression. Moreover, its downregulation played the opposite effects in HTR-8/SV-neo cells. Mechanistically, circFN1 functioned as "miRNA sponge" for miR-19a/b-3p and modulated the latter's target gene ATF2. There were feedback effects of miR-19a/b-3p restorations and ATF2 depletion on circFN1 actions in HTR-8/SV-neo cells. Oxidative injury-mediated placental trophoblast dysfunction in PE was through competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism of CircFN1-miR-19a/b-3p-ATF2 axes.

CircRNF121 knockdown suppresses the progression of cervical cancer by regulating miR-153-3p/ATF2 axis and wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy in gynecology. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as vital mediators in CC. However, the roles of circRNA ring finger protein 121 (circRNF121) in CC are largely unknown. Herein, we focused on the exact function and underlying mechanism of circRNF121 in CC development. Our results showed that circRNF121 was highly expressed in CC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circRNF121 suppressed cell growth, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), autophagy, and wnt/ß-catenin pathway in CC cells in vitro and blocked tumor formation in vivo. For mechanism investigation, circRNF121 could affect activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) expression by decoying miR-153-3p, thereby accelerating CC cell development. In conclusion, circRNF121 exerted the tumor-suppressive role in CC progression by altering miR-153-3p/ATF2 axis. These results suggested that circRNF121 might be a possible circ-targeted therapy for patients with CC.

Long non­coding RNA ZSCAN16­AS1 promotes the malignant properties of hepatocellular carcinoma by decoying microRNA­451a and consequently increasing ATF2 expression.

The importance of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the oncogenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been widely studied. However, the detailed functions of ZSCAN16 antisense RNA 1 (ZSCAN16­AS1) have seldom been explored in HCC until the present study. In the present study, experiments were performed to clarify whether ZSCAN16­AS1 is implicated in the oncogenesis and progression of HCC and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. ZSCAN16­AS1 expression was analyzed using reverse transcription­quantitative PCR. The effects of ZSCAN16­AS1 on the biological behavior of HCC cells were demonstrated by functional experiments. The direct binding capacity of ZSCAN16­AS1 with microRNA­451a (miR­451a) was indicated by the luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. The high expression of ZSCAN16­AS1 was confirmed in HCC by The Cancer Genome Atlas database and the cohort of the present study. Survival data revealed that patients with a high ZSCAN16­AS1 level had worse prognosis compared with those with a low ZSCAN16­AS1 level. Following ZSCAN16­AS1 knockdown, HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion were curbed, whereas cell apoptosis was promoted in vitro. The absence of ZSCAN16­AS1 restricted tumor growth of HCC cells in vivo. Mechanistically, ZSCAN16­AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA by decoying miR­451a in HCC cells. Furthermore, activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), a direct target of miR­451a, was under the regulation of ZSCAN16­AS1, which was exerted by sequestering miR­451a. In addition, miR­451a knockdown or ATF2 resumption reversed the proliferation suppression, apoptosis promotion and migration and invasion inhibition triggered by ZSCAN16­AS1 silencing. In conclusion, ZSCAN16­AS1, a pro­oncogenic lncRNA, aggravated the malignancy of HCC by controlling the miR­451a/ATF2 axis. An understanding of the competing endogenous RNA network of ZSCAN16­AS1/miR­451a/ATF2 in HCC might be instrumental in the development of attractive targets for molecular therapy.