RESUMO
Metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of CRC-associated mortality. Angiogenin (ANG), a member of the ribonuclease A superfamily, not only activates endothelial cells to induce tumor angiogenesis, but also targets tumor cells to promote cell survival, proliferation and/or migration. However, its clinical significance and underlying mechanism in CRC metastasis are still largely unknown. Here, we reported that ANG was upregulated in CRC tissues and associated with metastasis in CRC patients. We then revealed that ANG enhanced CRC growth and metastasis in both in vitro and in vivo systems. Intriguingly, we characterized a bunch of tRNA-derived stress-induced small RNAs (tiRNAs), produced through ANG cleavage, that was enriched in both CRC tumor tissues and highly metastatic cells, and functioned in ANG-promoted CRC metastasis. Moreover, higher level of a 5'-tiRNA from mature tRNA-Val (5'-tiRNA-Val) was observed in CRC patients and was correlated with tumor metastasis. Taken together, we propose that a novel ANG-tiRNAs-cell migration and invasion regulatory axis promotes CRC metastasis, which might be of potential target for CRC diagnosis and treatment.
Assuntos
Neoplasias do Colo/metabolismo , Neoplasias do Colo/patologia , RNA de Transferência/biossíntese , Ribonuclease Pancreático/metabolismo , Regiões 5' não Traduzidas , Animais , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Movimento Celular/fisiologia , Neoplasias do Colo/irrigação sanguínea , Neoplasias do Colo/genética , Técnicas de Inativação de Genes , Xenoenxertos , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Endogâmicos NOD , Camundongos Nus , Camundongos SCID , Invasividade Neoplásica , Metástase Neoplásica , Neovascularização Patológica/genética , Neovascularização Patológica/metabolismo , Neovascularização Patológica/patologia , RNA de Transferência/genética , RNA de Transferência/metabolismo , Ribonuclease Pancreático/genética , Regulação para CimaRESUMO
Antimicrobial proteins contribute to host-microbiota interactions and are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but our understanding on antimicrobial protein diversity and functions remains incomplete. Ribonuclease 4 (Rnase4) is a potential antimicrobial protein with no known function in the intestines. Here we find that RNASE4 is expressed in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) including Paneth and goblet cells, and is detectable in human and mouse stool. Results from Rnase4-deficient mice and recombinant protein suggest that Rnase4 kills Parasutterella to modulate intestinal microbiome, thereby enhancing indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) expression and subsequently kynurenic and xanthurenic acid production in IECs to reduce colitis susceptibility. Furthermore, deceased RNASE4 levels are observed in the intestinal tissues and stool from patients with IBD, correlating with increased stool Parasutterella. Our results thus implicate Rnase4 as an intestinal antimicrobial protein regulating gut microbiota and metabolite homeostasis, and as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for IBD.