Zinc finger protein 280C contributes to colorectal tumorigenesis by maintaining epigenetic repression at H3K27me3-marked loci.

Dysregulated epigenetic and transcriptional programming due to abnormalities of transcription factors (TFs) contributes to and sustains the oncogenicity of cancer cells. Here, we unveiled the role of zinc finger protein 280C (ZNF280C), a known DNA damage response protein, as a tumorigenic TF in colorectal cancer (CRC), required for colitis-associated carcinogenesis and Apc deficiency­driven intestinal tumorigenesis in mice. Consistently, ZNF280C silencing in human CRC cells inhibited proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, xenograft growth, and liver metastasis. As a C2H2 (Cys2-His2) zinc finger-containing TF, ZNF280C occupied genomic intervals with both transcriptionally active and repressive states and coincided with CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) and cohesin binding. Notably, ZNF280C was crucial for the repression program of trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3)-marked genes and the maintenance of both focal and broad H3K27me3 levels. Mechanistically, ZNF280C counteracted CTCF/cohesin activities and condensed the chromatin environment at the cis elements of certain tumor suppressor genes marked by H3K27me3, at least partially through recruiting the epigenetic repressor structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain-containing 1 (SMCHD1). In clinical relevance, ZNF280C was highly expressed in primary CRCs and distant metastases, and a higher ZNF280C level independently predicted worse prognosis of CRC patients. Thus, our study uncovered a contributor with good prognostic value to CRC pathogenesis and also elucidated the essence of DNA-binding TFs in orchestrating the epigenetic programming of gene regulation.

Loss of circIGF1R Suppresses Cardiomyocytes Proliferation by Sponging miR-362-5p.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are generally formed by the back-splicing of precursor mRNA. Increasing evidence implicates the important role of circRNAs in cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of circ-insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (circIGF1R) in cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation remains unclear. Here, we investigated the potential role of the circIGF1R in the proliferation of CMs. We found that circIGF1R expression in heart tissues and primary CMs from adult mice was significantly lower than that in neonatal mice at postnatal 1 day (p1). Increased circIGF1R expression was detected in the injured neonatal heart at 0.5 and 1 days post-resection. circIGF1R knockdown significantly decreased the proliferation of primary CMs. Combined prediction software, luciferase reporter gene analysis, and quantitative real time-PCR (qPCR) revealed that circIGF1R interacted with miR-362-5p. A significant increase in miR-362-5p expression was detected in the adult heart compared with that in the neonatal heart. Further, heart injury significantly decreased the expression of miR-362-5p in neonatal mice. Treatment with miR-362-5p mimics significantly suppressed the proliferation of primary CMs, whereas knockdown of miR-362-5p promoted the CMs proliferation. Meanwhile, miR-362-5p silencing can rescue the proliferation inhibition of CMs induced by circIGF1R knockdown. Target prediction and qPCR validation revealed that miR-362-5p significantly inhibited the expression of Phf3 in primary CMs. In addition, decreased Phf3 expression was detected in adult hearts compared with neonatal hearts. Consistently, increased Phf3 expression was detected in injured neonatal hearts compared with that in sham hearts. Knockdown of Phf3 markedly repressed CMs proliferation. Taken together, these findings suggest that circIGF1R might contribute to cardiomyocyte proliferation by promoting Pfh3 expression by sponging miR-362-5p and provide an important experimental basis for the regulation of heart regeneration.

Targeted inhibition of KDM6 histone demethylases eradicates tumor-initiating cells via enhancer reprogramming in colorectal cancer.

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) maintain heterogeneity within tumors and seed metastases at distant sites, contributing to therapeutic resistance and disease recurrence. In colorectal cancer (CRC), strategy that effectively eradicates TICs and is of potential value for clinical use still remains in need. Methods: The anti-tumorigenic activity of a small-molecule inhibitor of KDM6 histone demethylases named GSK-J4 in CRC was evaluated by in vitro assays and in vivo imaging of xenografted tumors. Sphere formation, flow cytometry analysis of cell surface markers and intestinal organoid formation were performed to examine the impact of GSK-J4 on TIC properties. Transcriptome analysis and global profiling of H3K27ac, H3K27me3, and KDM6A levels by ChIP-seq were conducted to elucidate how KDM6 inhibition reshapes epigenetic landscape and thereby eliminating TICs. Results: GSK-J4 alleviated the malignant phenotypes of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo, sensitized them to chemotherapeutic treatment, and strongly repressed TIC properties and stemness-associated gene signatures in these cells. Mechanistically, KDM6 inhibition induced global enhancer reprogramming with a preferential impact on super-enhancer-associated genes, including some key genes that control stemness in CRC such as ID1. Besides, expression of both Kdm6a and Kdm6b was more abundant in mouse intestinal crypt when compared with upper villus and inhibition of their activities blocked intestinal organoid formation. Finally, we unveiled the power of KDM6B in predicting both the overall survival outcome and recurrence of CRC patients. Conclusions: Our study provides a novel rational strategy to eradicate TICs through reshaping epigenetic landscape in CRC, which might also be beneficial for optimizing current therapeutics.

Oncogenic HOXB8 is driven by MYC-regulated super-enhancer and potentiates colorectal cancer invasiveness via BACH1.

Aberrant activation of Homeobox genes in human cancers has long been documented, whereas the mechanisms underlying remain largely obscure. Super-enhancers (SEs) act as key regulatory elements for both cell identity genes and cancer genes. Herein, we reported that SE-associated HOXB gene cluster represented a common feature of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and multiple HOXB genes within this cluster were overexpressed in CRC. Among them, we found that HOXB8 was oncogenic and its activation in CRC was driven by SE instead of genetic alteration. We further demonstrated that the master transcription factor MYC preferentially occupied SEs over TEs (typical enhancers) and regulated HOXB8 transcription by binding to the active elements of its SE. HOXB8 silencing induced reversal of transcriptional signatures associated with malignant phenotypes of CRC. Mechanistically, HOXB8 interacted with a key metastasis regulator BACH1 and instigated BACH1-mediated transcriptional cascade by directly occupying and activating BACH1 gene transcription together with BACH1 itself. Lastly, the relevance of HOXB8 activation in clinical settings was strengthened by its close association with prognostic outcomes of CRC patients.

Topical ocular administration of the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide arrests hyperphosphorylated tau-triggered diabetic retinal neurodegeneration via activation of GLP-1R/Akt/GSK3ß signaling.

Diabetic retinal neurodegeneration, in particular synaptic neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) occurring before RGCs apoptosis, may represent the earliest event in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Our previous study identified hyperphosphorylated-tau as a critical toxic mediator in diabetic RGCs synaptic neurodegeneration. Thus, therapeutic agents targeting to tau may appear as a promising strategy to arrest the progression of DR. The glucagon-like-peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, including liraglutide, can ameliorate neurodegenerative features in models of Alzheimer's disease and diabetes by decreasing tau hyperphosphorylation in the brain. Liraglutide has also been found to prevent retinal neural apoptosis/loss in diabetic mice. However, whether liraglutide can prevent diabetic synapse degeneration of RGCs, and its neuroprotective role, if any, is due to alleviating retinal tau hyperphosphorylation remain unknown. Here, using a well characterized high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetes mouse model, we showed that topical ocular administration of liraglutide reversed hyperphosphorylated tau-triggered RGCs synaptic degeneration in HFD-induced diabetes. The neuroprotective effect of liraglutide on diabetic retinae was abolished when GLP-1R or Akt was inhibited by topically co-administration with a GLP-1R antagonist, exendin-(9-39), or an Akt inhibitor MK2206, respectively. However, knock-down of GSK3ß by intravitreal injection of si-GSK3ß restored the neuroprotective effects of liraglutide abrogated by Akt inactivation. Thus, our present study demonstrated that liraglutide can arrest hyperphosphorylated tau-triggered retinal neurodegeneration via activation of GLP-1R/Akt/GSK3ß signaling. Our results also propose that topical ocular application of liraglutide can be envisaged as a potentially useful strategy for the treatment of retinal tauopathy at the early onset of DR.

Neuroprotective Effects of Ginsenoside Rg1 against Hyperphosphorylated Tau-Induced Diabetic Retinal Neurodegeneration via Activation of IRS-1/Akt/GSK3ß Signaling.

We have recently demonstrated that tau hyperphosphorylation causes diabetic synaptic neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which might be the earliest affair during the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Thus, there is a pressing need to seek therapeutic agents possessing neuroprotective effects against tau hyperphosphorylation in RGCs for arresting the progression of DR. Here, using a well-characterized diabetes model of db/db mouse, we discovered that topical ocular application of 10 mg/kg/day of ginsenoside Rg1 (GRg1), one of the major active ingredients extracted from Panax ginseng and Panax notoginseng, ameliorated hyperphosphorylated tau-triggered RGCs synaptic neurodegeneration in diabetic mice. The neuroprotective effects of GRg1 on diabetic retinae were abrogated when retinal IRS-1 or Akt was suppressed by intravitreal injection with si-IRS-1 or topically coadministered with a specific inhibitor of Akt, respectively. However, selective repression of retinal GSK3ß by intravitreal administration of si-GSK3ß rescued the neuroprotective properties of GRg1 when Akt was inactivated. Therefore, the present study showed for the first time that GRg1 can prevent hyperphosphorylated tau-induced synaptic neurodegeneration of RGCs via activation of IRS-1/Akt/GSK3ß signaling in the early phase of DR. Moreover, our data clarify the potential therapeutic significance of GRg1 for neuroprotective intervention strategies of DR.

Biosorption behavior and mechanism of cesium-137 on Rhodosporidium fluviale strain UA2 isolated from cesium solution.

In order to identify a more efficient biosorbent for (137)Cs, we have investigated the biosorption behavior and mechanism of (137)Cs on Rhodosporidium fluviale (R. fluviale) strain UA2, one of the dominant species of a fungal group isolated from a stable cesium solution. We observed that the biosorption of (137)Cs on R. fluviale strain UA2 was a fast and pH-dependent process in the solution composed of R. fluviale strain UA2 (5 g/L) and cesium (1 mg/L). While a Langmuir isotherm equation indicated that the biosorption of (137)Cs was a monolayer adsorption, the biosorption behavior implied that R. fluviale strain UA2 adsorbed cesium ions by electrostatic attraction. The TEM analysis revealed that cesium ions were absorbed into the cytoplasm of R. fluviale strain UA2 across the cell membrane, not merely fixed on the cell surface, which implied that a mechanism of metal uptake contributed largely to the cesium biosorption process. Moreover, PIXE and EPBS analyses showed that ion-exchange was another biosorption mechanism for the cell biosorption of (137)Cs, in which the decreased potassium ions were replaced by cesium ions. All the above results implied that the biosorption of (137)Cs on R. fluviale strain UA2 involved a two-step process. The first step is passive biosorption that cesium ions are adsorbed to cells surface by electrostatic attraction; after that, the second step is active biosorption that cesium ions penetrate the cell membrane and accumulate in the cytoplasm.

Adsorption and desorption of uranium (VI) in aerated zone soil.

In this paper, the adsorption and desorption behavior of uranium (VI) in aerated zone soil (from Southwest China) was systematically investigated using a static experimental method in order to provide useful information for safety assessment of the disposal of (ultra-)low uraniferous radioactive waste, as well as a potential remediation method for uranium-contaminated soils. The adsorption behavior of uranium (VI) was firstly studied by batch experiments as functions of contact time, pH, liquid/solid ratio, temperature, colloids, minerals and coexistent ions. The results indicated that the adsorption of uranium (VI) by natural soil was efficient at an initial concentration of 10 mg/L uranium (VI) nitrate solution with 100 mg natural soil at room temperature when pH is about 7.0. The adsorption was strongly influenced by the solution pH, contact time, initial concentration and colloids. The adsorption equilibrium for uranium (VI) in soil was obtained within 24 h and the process could be described by the Langmuir adsorption equation. For uranium (VI) desorption, EDTA, citric acid and HNO(3) were evaluated under different conditions of temperature, concentration and proportion of liquid to solid. The adsorbed uranium (VI) on natural soil could be easily extracted by all these agents, especially by HNO(3), implying that the uranium-contaminated soils can be remedied by these reagents.