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1.
Int J Mol Sci ; 25(18)2024 Sep 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39337566

RESUMO

RNAs, especially non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), are crucial players in regulating cellular mechanisms due to their ability to interact with and regulate other molecules. Altered expression patterns of ncRNAs have been observed in prostate cancer (PCa), contributing to the disease's initiation, progression, and treatment response. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of a specific set of RNAs, including long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs, to discriminate between PCa and the non-neoplastic condition benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). After selecting by literature mining the most relevant RNAs differentially expressed in biofluids from PCa patients, we evaluated their discriminatory power in samples of unfiltered urine from 50 PCa and 50 BPH patients using both real-time PCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Additionally, we also optimized a protocol for urine sample manipulation and RNA extraction. This two-way validation study allowed us to establish that miRNAs (i.e., miR-27b-3p, miR-574-3p, miR-30a-5p, and miR-125b-5p) are more efficient biomarkers for PCa compared to long RNAs (mRNAs and lncRNAs) (e.g., PCA3, PCAT18, and KLK3), as their dysregulation was consistently reported in the whole urine of patients with PCa compared to those with BPH in a statistically significant manner regardless of the quantification methodology performed. Moreover, a significant increase in diagnostic performance was observed when molecular signatures composed of different miRNAs were considered. Hence, the abovementioned circulating ncRNAs represent excellent potential non-invasive biomarkers in urine capable of effectively distinguishing individuals with PCa from those with BPH, potentially reducing cancer overdiagnosis.


Assuntos
Biomarcadores Tumorais , MicroRNAs , Hiperplasia Prostática , Neoplasias da Próstata , Humanos , Masculino , Hiperplasia Prostática/urina , Hiperplasia Prostática/genética , Hiperplasia Prostática/diagnóstico , Neoplasias da Próstata/urina , Neoplasias da Próstata/genética , Neoplasias da Próstata/diagnóstico , Idoso , MicroRNAs/urina , MicroRNAs/genética , Biomarcadores Tumorais/urina , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Diagnóstico Diferencial , RNA Longo não Codificante/urina , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , RNA Mensageiro/urina , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais
2.
Eur J Haematol ; 111(6): 922-929, 2023 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37747757

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder caused by the lysosomal enzyme acid ß-glucosidase deficiency. Many patients experience a critical delay in the diagnosis of up to 8-10 years due to its rarity and variability in signs and symptoms, with the consultation of several specialists. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study analyzed the prevalence of GD in 600 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS) from January 2018 until February 2022. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 66 years, with a mean monoclonal component of 0.58 g/dL. In 433 MGUS patients with available data, anemia (hemoglobin level < 10 g/dL) was present in 31 patients (7%), and thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100.000/mm3 ) in 24 (5.5%). Of 600 MGUS patients tested for acid ß-glucosidase enzyme activity, 7 patients (1.2%) had activity below 2.5 nmol/h/mL. In comparison, GBA gene analysis was executed in 110 patients. It revealed 4 patients (0.7%) affected by GD (3 patients with compound heterozygous mutation and 1 with homozygous mutation), with a prevalence of 1 every 150 MGUS patients. Furthermore, 12 out of the remaining 106 evaluated patients (11%) were carriers of a single heterozygous mutation while having regular enzyme activity. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical heterogeneity of GD and frequent lack of awareness among physicians often lead to diagnostic delays and severe clinical manifestations. The role of MGUS in the presence of at least one clinical sign, such as low platelet count, organomegaly, bone pain, or bleeding tendency, could aid in initiating GD screening with DBS, thus reducing the period between symptom onset and the diagnosis of this rare disease.


Assuntos
Anemia , Doença de Gaucher , Gamopatia Monoclonal de Significância Indeterminada , Paraproteinemias , Humanos , Idoso , Gamopatia Monoclonal de Significância Indeterminada/complicações , Gamopatia Monoclonal de Significância Indeterminada/diagnóstico , Gamopatia Monoclonal de Significância Indeterminada/epidemiologia , Doença de Gaucher/complicações , Doença de Gaucher/diagnóstico , Doença de Gaucher/epidemiologia , Prevalência
3.
Cell Mol Life Sci ; 79(2): 75, 2022 Jan 17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35039944

RESUMO

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new member of the Betacoronaviridae family, responsible for the recent pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. To start exploring the molecular events that follow host cell infection, we queried VirusCircBase and identified a circular RNA (circRNA) predicted to be synthesized by SARS-CoV-2, circ_3205, which we used to probe: (i) a training cohort comprised of two pools of cells from three nasopharyngeal swabs of SARS-CoV-2 infected (positive) or uninfected (negative, UCs) individuals; (ii) a validation cohort made up of 12 positive and 3 negative samples. The expression of circRNAs, miRNAs and miRNA targets was assayed through real-time PCR. CircRNA-miRNA interactions were predicted by TarpMiR, Analysis of Common Targets for circular RNAs (ACT), and STarMir tools. Enrichment of the biological processes and the list of predicted miRNA targets were retrieved from DIANA miRPath v3.0. Our results showed that the predicted SARS-CoV-2 circ_3205 was expressed only in positive samples and its amount positively correlated with that of SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) mRNA and the viral load (r values = 0.80952 and 0.84867, Spearman's correlation test, respectively). Human (hsa) miR-298 was predicted to interact with circ_3205 by all three predictive tools. KCNMB4 and PRKCE were predicted as hsa-miR-298 targets. Interestingly, the function of both is correlated with blood coagulation and immune response. KCNMB4 and PRKCE mRNAs were upregulated in positive samples as compared to UCs (6 and 8.1-fold, p values = 0.049 and 0.02, Student's t test, respectively) and their expression positively correlated with that of circ_3205 (r values = 0.6 and 0.25, Spearman's correlation test, respectively). We propose that our results convincingly suggest that circ_3205 is a circRNA synthesized by SARS-CoV-2 upon host cell infection and that it may behave as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), sponging hsa-miR-298 and contributing to the upregulation of KCNMB4 and PRKCE mRNAs.


Assuntos
COVID-19/genética , COVID-19/metabolismo , RNA Circular/genética , RNA Viral , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Biologia Computacional , Regulação Viral da Expressão Gênica , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Humanos , Subunidades beta do Canal de Potássio Ativado por Cálcio de Condutância Alta/genética , MicroRNAs/genética , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Nasofaringe/virologia , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/genética , Mapeamento de Interação de Proteínas , Proteína Quinase C-épsilon/genética , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes
4.
Int J Mol Sci ; 24(17)2023 Aug 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37686290

RESUMO

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex and multifactorial disease characterised by high blood glucose. Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), the most frequent clinical condition accounting for about 90% of all DM cases worldwide, is a chronic disease with slow development usually affecting middle-aged or elderly individuals. T2D represents a significant problem of public health today because its incidence is constantly growing among both children and adults. It is also estimated that underdiagnosis prevalence would strongly further increase the real incidence of the disease, with about half of T2D patients being undiagnosed. Therefore, it is important to increase diagnosis accuracy. The current interest in RNA molecules (both protein- and non-protein-coding) as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment lies in the ease and low cost of isolation and quantification with basic molecular biology techniques. In the present study, we analysed the transcriptome in serum samples collected from T2D patients and unaffected individuals to identify potential RNA-based biomarkers. Microarray-based profiling and subsequent validation using Real-Time PCR identified an uncharacterised long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcribed from the ASAP1 locus as a potential diagnostic biomarker. ROC curve analysis showed that a molecular signature including the lncRNA and the clinicopathological parameters of T2D patients as well as unaffected individuals showed a better diagnostic performance compared with the glycated haemoglobin test (HbA1c). This result suggests that the application of this biomarker in clinical practice would help to improve the diagnosis, and therefore the clinical management, of T2D patients. The proposed biomarker would be useful in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalised medicine (3PM/PPPM).


Assuntos
Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Hiperglicemia , RNA Longo não Codificante , Adulto , Idoso , Criança , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/genética , Saúde Pública , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética
5.
Cell Mol Life Sci ; 79(1): 50, 2021 Dec 22.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34936029

RESUMO

Circular RNA (circRNA) biogenesis requires a backsplicing reaction, promoted by inverted repeats in cis-flanking sequences and trans factors, such as RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Among these, FUS plays a key role. During spermatogenesis and sperm maturation along the epididymis such a molecular mechanism has been poorly explored. With this in mind, we chose circCNOT6L as a study case and wild-type (WT) as well as cannabinoid receptor type-1 knock-out (Cb1-/-) male mice as animal models to analyze backsplicing mechanisms. Our results suggest that spermatozoa (SPZ) have an endogenous skill to circularize mRNAs, choosing FUS as modulator of backsplicing and under CB1 stimulation. A physical interaction between FUS and CNOT6L as well as a cooperation among FUS, RNA Polymerase II (RNApol2) and Quaking (QKI) take place in SPZ. Finally, to gain insight into FUS involvement in circCNOT6L biogenesis, FUS expression was reduced through RNA interference approach. Paternal transmission of FUS and CNOT6L to oocytes during fertilization was then assessed by using murine unfertilized oocytes (NF), one-cell zygotes (F) and murine oocytes undergoing parthenogenetic activation (PA) to exclude a maternal contribution. The role of circCNOT6L as an active regulator of zygote transition toward the 2-cell-like state was suggested using the Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) system. Intriguingly, human SPZ exactly mirror murine SPZ.


Assuntos
RNA Circular/metabolismo , Proteína FUS de Ligação a RNA/metabolismo , Ribonucleases/genética , Espermatozoides , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Oócitos , Espermatozoides/citologia , Espermatozoides/metabolismo , Zigoto/metabolismo
6.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(22)2022 Nov 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36430152

RESUMO

The involvement of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) pathogenesis and progression has been ascertained but their cross-talk within GBM cells remains elusive. We previously demonstrated the role of circSMARCA5 as a tumor suppressor (TS) in GBM. In this paper, we explore the involvement of circSMARCA5 in the control of microRNA (miRNA) expression in GBM. By using TaqMan® low-density arrays, the expression of 748 miRNAs was assayed in U87MG overexpressing circSMARCA5. Differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were validated through single TaqMan® assays in: (i) U87MG overexpressing circSMARCA5; (ii) four additional GBM cell lines (A172; CAS-1; SNB-19; U251MG); (iii) thirty-eight GBM biopsies; (iv) twenty biopsies of unaffected brain parenchyma (UC). Validated targets of DE miRNAs were selected from the databases TarBase and miRTarbase, and the literature; their expression was inferred from the GBM TCGA dataset. Expression was assayed in U87MG overexpressing circSMARCA5, GBM cell lines, and biopsies through real-time PCR. TS miRNAs 126-3p and 515-5p were upregulated following circSMARCA5 overexpression in U87MG and their expression was positively correlated with that of circSMARCA5 (r-values = 0.49 and 0.50, p-values = 9 × 10-5 and 7 × 10-5, respectively) in GBM biopsies. Among targets, IGFBP2 (target of miR-126-3p) and NRAS (target of miR-515-5p) mRNAs were positively correlated (r-value = 0.46, p-value = 0.00027), while their expression was negatively correlated with that of circSMARCA5 (r-values = -0.58 and -0.30, p-values = 0 and 0.019, respectively), miR-126-3p (r-value = -0.36, p-value = 0.0066), and miR-515-5p (r-value = -0.34, p-value = 0.010), respectively. Our data identified a new GBM subnetwork controlled by circSMARCA5, which regulates downstream miRNAs 126-3p and 515-5p, and their mRNA targets IGFBP2 and NRAS.


Assuntos
Glioblastoma , MicroRNAs , Humanos , Glioblastoma/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Proteína 2 de Ligação a Fator de Crescimento Semelhante à Insulina/genética , Proteína 2 de Ligação a Fator de Crescimento Semelhante à Insulina/metabolismo , GTP Fosfo-Hidrolases/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , MicroRNAs/genética , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Proto-Oncogenes , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo
7.
Reprod Biomed Online ; 43(6): 1045-1056, 2021 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34627683

RESUMO

RESEARCH QUESTION: Treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma have improved but one of their common effects is gonadal toxicity, which contributes to fertility damage of patients and induces temporary or irreversible loss of fertility. Could micro-RNA (miRNA) expression profiles in follicular fluid be influenced by Hodgkin lymphoma? Could their alteration affect molecular pathways involved in follicle growth and oocyte maturation? DESIGN: miRNA expression profile was investigated in follicular fluid samples from young women affected by Hodgkin lymphoma compared with healthy controls by NanoString technology. Bioinformatic analysis was used to verify miRNA involvement in follicle development and miRNA deregulation with Hodgkin lymphoma in a larger cohort of follicular fluid samples was confirmed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Thirteen miRNAs are deregulated in Hodgkin lymphoma samples compared with controls and are involved in molecular pathways related to cancer, gametogenesis and embryogenesis. Among them, let-7b-5p, miR-423-5p, miR-503-5p, miR-574-5p and miR-1303 are implicated in biological processes related to follicle development and oocyte maturation. Let-7b-5p holds the central position in the regulatory network of miRNA-mRNA interactions, has the highest number of mRNA target genes shared with the other differentially expressed miRNAs and is significantly downregulated in Hodgkin lymphoma follicular fluid samples. CONCLUSIONS: These data led us to question the potential influence of miRNA deregulation on oocyte quality. Further studies are needed to verify the reproductive potential of young patients with Hodgkin lymphoma before starting chemotherapy protocols and an adequate protocol of fertility preservation needs to be guaranteed.


Assuntos
Líquido Folicular/metabolismo , Doença de Hodgkin/metabolismo , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Adolescente , Adulto , Biologia Computacional , Feminino , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Doença de Hodgkin/genética , Humanos , MicroRNAs/genética , Folículo Ovariano/metabolismo , Adulto Jovem
8.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(10)2021 May 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34068160

RESUMO

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder occurring in susceptible individuals following a traumatic event. Understanding the mechanisms subserving trauma susceptibility/resilience is essential to develop new effective treatments. Increasing evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), may play a prominent role in mediating trauma susceptibility/resilience. In this study, we evaluated the transcriptional expression of two key PTSD-related genes (FKBP5 and BDNF) and the relative targeting miRNAs (miR-15a-5p, miR-497a-5p, miR-511-5p, let-7d-5p) in brain areas of PTSD-related susceptible and resilient mice identified through our recently developed mouse model of PTSD (arousal-based individual screening (AIS) model). We observed lower transcript levels of miR-15a-5p, miR-497a-5p, and miR-511a-5p in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of susceptible mice compared to resilient mice, suggesting that the expression of these miRNAs could discriminate the two different phenotypes of stress-exposed mice. These miRNA variations could contribute, individually or synergically, to the inversely correlated transcript levels of FKBP5 and BDNF. Conversely, in the medial prefrontal cortex, downregulation of miR-15a-5p, miR-511-5p, and let-7d-5p was observed both in susceptible and resilient mice, and not accompanied by changes in their mRNA targets. Furthermore, miRNA expression in the different brain areas correlated to stress-induced behavioral scores (arousal score, avoidance-like score, social memory score and PTSD-like score), suggesting a linear connection between miRNA-based epigenetic modulation and stress-induced phenotypes. Pathway analysis of a miRNA network showed a statistically significant enrichment of molecular processes related to PTSD and stress. In conclusion, our results indicate that PTSD susceptibility/resilience might be shaped by brain-area-dependent modulation of miRNAs targeting FKBP5, BDNF, and other stress-related genes.


Assuntos
Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/metabolismo , MicroRNAs/genética , Resiliência Psicológica , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/patologia , Proteínas de Ligação a Tacrolimo/metabolismo , Animais , Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/genética , Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a Tacrolimo/genética
9.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(24)2021 Dec 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34947989

RESUMO

In the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus cycle, influencing positively or negatively viral replication. Accordingly, microRNAs can represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of infectious processes and a promising approach for designing targeted therapies. In the past 18 months, the COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2 has engaged many researchers in the search for diagnostic and prognostic markers and the development of therapies. Although some research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 genome can produce microRNAs and that host microRNAs may be involved in the cellular response to the virus, to date, not enough evidence has been provided. In this paper, using a focused bioinformatic approach exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 is able to produce microRNAs sharing a strong sequence homology with the human ones and also that human microRNAs may target viral RNA regulating the virus life cycle inside human cells. Interestingly, all viral miRNA sequences and some human miRNA target sites are conserved in more recent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Even if experimental evidence will be needed, in silico analysis represents a valuable source of information useful to understand the sophisticated molecular mechanisms of disease and to sustain biomedical applications.


Assuntos
MicroRNAs/genética , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Replicação Viral/genética , COVID-19/genética , Biologia Computacional/métodos , Vírus de DNA/genética , Expressão Gênica/genética , Regulação Viral da Expressão Gênica/genética , Genoma Viral/genética , Interações Hospedeiro-Patógeno/genética , RNA Viral/genética , Homologia de Sequência
10.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(4)2021 Feb 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33562358

RESUMO

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a large class of RNAs with regulatory functions within cells. We recently showed that circSMARCA5 is a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and acts as a decoy for Serine and Arginine Rich Splicing Factor 1 (SRSF1) through six predicted binding sites (BSs). Here we characterized RNA motifs functionally involved in the interaction between circSMARCA5 and SRSF1. Three different circSMARCA5 molecules (Mut1, Mut2, Mut3), each mutated in two predicted SRSF1 BSs at once, were obtained through PCR-based replacement of wild-type (WT) BS sequences and cloned in three independent pcDNA3 vectors. Mut1 significantly decreased its capability to interact with SRSF1 as compared to WT, based on the RNA immunoprecipitation assay. In silico analysis through the "Find Individual Motif Occurrences" (FIMO) algorithm showed GAUGAA as an experimentally validated SRSF1 binding motif significantly overrepresented within both predicted SRSF1 BSs mutated in Mut1 (q-value = 0.0011). U87MG and CAS-1, transfected with Mut1, significantly increased their migration with respect to controls transfected with WT, as revealed by the cell exclusion zone assay. Immortalized human brain microvascular endothelial cells (IM-HBMEC) exposed to conditioned medium (CM) harvested from U87MG and CAS-1 transfected with Mut1 significantly sprouted more than those treated with CM harvested from U87MG and CAS-1 transfected with WT, as shown by the tube formation assay. qRT-PCR showed that the intracellular pro- to anti-angiogenic Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) mRNA isoform ratio and the amount of total VEGFA mRNA secreted in CM significantly increased in Mut1-transfected CAS-1 as compared to controls transfected with WT. Our data suggest that GAUGAA is the RNA motif responsible for the interaction between circSMARCA5 and SRSF1 as well as for the circSMARCA5-mediated control of GBM cell migration and angiogenic potential.


Assuntos
Adenosina Trifosfatases/genética , Movimento Celular , Proteínas Cromossômicas não Histona/genética , Glioblastoma/irrigação sanguínea , Glioblastoma/patologia , Neovascularização Patológica/patologia , RNA Circular/metabolismo , Fatores de Processamento de Serina-Arginina/metabolismo , Apoptose , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Proliferação de Células , Células Endoteliais/patologia , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioblastoma/metabolismo , Humanos , Motivos de Nucleotídeos , Prognóstico , RNA Circular/genética , Fatores de Processamento de Serina-Arginina/genética , Células Tumorais Cultivadas
11.
Cell Mol Neurobiol ; 40(4): 531-546, 2020 May.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31691877

RESUMO

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are age-dependent; among them, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most frequent. Similarly, cerebrovascular damage can induce the development of vascular-related disorders that share common features with AD and PD, respectively, named vascular dementia (VD) and vascular parkinsonism (VP). To date, ND diagnosis is mainly clinical; therefore, since these disorders show similar symptoms, their correct discrimination may be difficult. We detected 23 ND-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) by literature mining and investigated their serum expression in a cohort of 139 patients including AD, PD, VD, and VP patients and healthy controls. TaqMan RT-PCR data showed that miR-23a upregulation was associated with an ongoing neurodegenerative process, similar to miR-22* and miR-29a, while let-7d, miR-15b, miR-24, miR-142-3p, miR-181c, and miR-222 showed an altered expression in Parkinson-like phenotypes, as well as miR-34b, miR-125b, and miR-130b in Alzheimer-like disorders. By computing logistic regression models and ROC curves, we identified signatures of neuro-miRNAs specific for each disease, showing good diagnostic performance. Interestingly, we found that miR-23a, miR-29a, miR-34b, and miR-125b exhibited a different distribution between exosomes and vesicle-free serum, suggesting a heterogeneity of secretion for these miRNAs. Our results suggest that miRNA signatures could discriminate in a non-invasive manner neurodegenerative disorders, thus improving clinical diagnoses.


Assuntos
Biomarcadores/sangue , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , MicroRNAs/sangue , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/sangue , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/diagnóstico , Doenças Vasculares/sangue , Doenças Vasculares/diagnóstico , Idoso , Doença de Alzheimer/sangue , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Doença de Alzheimer/genética , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Demência Vascular/sangue , Demência Vascular/diagnóstico , Demência Vascular/genética , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Exossomos/metabolismo , Feminino , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , MicroRNAs/genética , Análise Multivariada , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/genética , Doença de Parkinson/sangue , Doença de Parkinson/diagnóstico , Doença de Parkinson/genética , Curva ROC , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Doenças Vasculares/genética
12.
Int J Mol Sci ; 21(20)2020 Oct 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33076555

RESUMO

Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis is actually based on clinical evaluation and brain-imaging tests, and it can often be confirmed only post-mortem. Therefore, new non-invasive molecular biomarkers are necessary to improve AD diagnosis. As circulating microRNA biomarkers have been proposed for many diseases, including AD, we aimed to identify new diagnostic non-small RNAs in AD. Whole transcriptome analysis was performed on plasma samples of five AD and five unaffected individuals (CTRL) using the Clariom D Pico Assay, followed by validation in real-time PCR on 37 AD patients and 37 CTRL. Six differentially expressed (DE) transcripts were identified: GS1-304P7.3 (upregulated), NONHSAT090268, TC0100011037, TC0400008478, TC1400008125, and UBE2V1 (downregulated). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may influence the expression of circulating RNAs and their analysis has been proposed to improve AD clinical management. Accordingly, DE transcript expression was also evaluated in PBMCs, showing no difference between AD and CTRL. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of each DE transcript and a signature including all of them. A correlation between cognitive impairment and GS1-304P7.3, NONHSAT090268, TC0100011037, and TC0400008478 was detected, suggesting a potential association between their extracellular abundance and AD clinical phenotype. Finally, this study identified six transcripts showing altered expression in the plasma of AD patients. Given the need for new, accurate blood biomarkers for AD diagnosis, these transcripts may be considered for further analyses in larger cohorts, also in combination with other biomarkers, aiming to identify specific RNA-based biomarkers to be eventually applied to clinical practice.


Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/sangue , Ácidos Nucleicos Livres/sangue , Cognição , RNA não Traduzido/sangue , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Biomarcadores/sangue , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Transcriptoma
13.
Int J Mol Sci ; 21(17)2020 Aug 27.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32867322

RESUMO

Recent evidence has demonstrated that salivary molecules, as well as bacterial populations, can be perturbed by several pathological conditions, including neuro-psychiatric diseases. This relationship between brain functionality and saliva composition could be exploited to unveil new pathological mechanisms of elusive diseases, such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We performed a combined approach of miRNA expression profiling by NanoString technology, followed by validation experiments in qPCR, and 16S rRNA microbiome analysis on saliva from 53 ASD and 27 neurologically unaffected control (NUC) children. MiR-29a-3p and miR-141-3p were upregulated, while miR-16-5p, let-7b-5p, and miR-451a were downregulated in ASD compared to NUCs. Microbiome analysis on the same subjects revealed that Rothia, Filifactor, Actinobacillus, Weeksellaceae, Ralstonia, Pasteurellaceae, and Aggregatibacter increased their abundance in ASD patients, while Tannerella, Moryella and TM7-3 decreased. Variations of both miRNAs and microbes were statistically associated to different neuropsychological scores related to anomalies in social interaction and communication. Among miRNA/bacteria associations, the most relevant was the negative correlation between salivary miR-141-3p expression and Tannerella abundance. MiRNA and microbiome dysregulations found in the saliva of ASD children are potentially associated with cognitive impairments of the subjects. Furthermore, a potential cross-talking between circulating miRNAs and resident bacteria could occur in saliva of ASD.


Assuntos
Transtorno do Espectro Autista/psicologia , Bactérias/classificação , MicroRNAs/genética , Saliva/química , Saliva/microbiologia , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/genética , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/microbiologia , Bactérias/genética , Bactérias/isolamento & purificação , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , MicroRNAs/economia , Filogenia , RNA Ribossômico 16S/genética
14.
J Cell Physiol ; 234(8): 12625-12636, 2019 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30515781

RESUMO

Membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN) is a glomerulopathy characterized by subepithelial deposits of immune complexes on the extracapillary side of the glomerular basement membrane. Insertion of C5b-9 (complement membrane-attack complex) into the membrane leads to functional impairment of the glomerular capillary wall. Knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of MGN is actually scanty. MicroRNA (miRNA) profiling in MGN and unaffected tissues was performed by TaqMan Low-Density Arrays. Expression of miRNAs and miRNA targets was evaluated in Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In vitro transient silencing of miRNAs was achieved through transfection with miRNA inhibitors. Ten miRNAs (let-7a-5p, let-7b-5p, let-7c-5p, let-7d-5p, miR-107, miR-129-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-516-3p, miR-532-3p, and miR-1275) were differentially expressed (DE) in MGN biopsies compared to unaffected controls. Interleukin 6 (IL6) and MYC messenger RNAs (mRNAs; targets of DE miRNAs) were significantly downregulated in biopsies from MGN patients, and upregulated in A498 cells following let-7a-5p or let-7c-5p transient silencing. Gene ontology analysis showed that DE miRNAs regulate pathways associated with MGN pathogenesis, including cell cycle, proliferation, and apoptosis. A significant correlation between DE miRNAs and mRNAs and clinical parameters (i.e., antiphospholipid antibodies, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration, proteinuria, and serum cholesterol) has been detected. Based on our data, we propose that DE miRNAs and their downstream network may be involved in MGN pathogenesis and could be considered as potential diagnostic biomarkers of MGN.


Assuntos
Regulação para Baixo/genética , Glomerulonefrite Membranosa/genética , MicroRNAs/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc/genética , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Regulação para Cima/genética , Apoptose/genética , Feminino , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica/métodos , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/genética , Humanos , Interleucina-6/genética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Ativação Transcricional/genética
15.
Liver Int ; 39(9): 1742-1754, 2019 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31169972

RESUMO

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), liver biopsy is the gold standard to detect non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and stage liver fibrosis. We aimed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs and non-coding RNAs in serum samples of biopsy-diagnosed mild and severe NAFLD patients with respect to controls and to each other. METHODS: We first performed a whole transcriptome analysis through microarray (n = 12: four Control: CTRL; four mild NAFLD: NAS ≤ 4 F0; four severe NAFLD NAS ≥ 5 F3), followed by validation of selected transcripts through real-time PCRs in an independent internal cohort of 88 subjects (63 NAFLD, 25 CTRL) and in an external cohort of 50 NAFLD patients. A similar analysis was also performed on liver biopsies and HepG2 cells exposed to oleate:palmitate or only palmitate (cellular model of NAFL/NASH) at intracellular/extracellular levels. Transcript correlation with histological/clinical data was also analysed. RESULTS: We identified several differentially expressed coding/non-coding RNAs in each group of the study cohort. We validated the up-regulation of UBE2V1, BNIP3L mRNAs, RP11-128N14.5 lncRNA, TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 coding/lncRNA in patients with NAS ≥ 5 (vs NAS ≤ 4) and the up-regulation of HBA2 mRNA, TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 coding/lncRNA in patients with Fibrosis stages = 3-4 (vs F = 0-2). In in vitro models: UBE2V1, RP11-128N14.5 and TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 had an increasing expression trend ranging from CTRL to oleate:palmitate or only palmitate-treated cells both at intracellular and extracellular level, while BNIP3L was up-regulated only at extracellular level. UBE2V1, RP11-128N14.5, TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 and HBA2 up-regulation was also observed at histological level. UBE2V1, RP11-128N14.5, BNIP3L and TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 correlated with histological/biochemical data. Combinations of TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 + Fibrosis Index based on the four factors (FIB-4) showed an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.891 (P = 3.00E-06) or TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 + Fibroscan (AUC = 0.892, P = 2.00E-06) improved the detection of F = 3-4 with respect to F = 0-2 fibrosis stages. CONCLUSIONS: We identified specific serum coding/non-coding RNA profiles in severe and mild NAFLD patients that possibly mirror the molecular mechanisms underlying NAFLD progression towards NASH/fibrosis. TGFB2/TGFB2-OT1 detection improves FIB-4/Fibroscan diagnostic performance for advanced fibrosis discrimination.


Assuntos
Cirrose Hepática/diagnóstico , Cirrose Hepática/patologia , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/diagnóstico , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/patologia , RNA não Traduzido/sangue , Adulto , Biomarcadores/sangue , Biópsia , Estudos de Coortes , Progressão da Doença , Feminino , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Fígado/enzimologia , Fígado/patologia , Cirrose Hepática/sangue , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/sangue , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Curva ROC , Índice de Gravidade de Doença
16.
RNA Biol ; 16(9): 1237-1248, 2019 09.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31135264

RESUMO

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a critical role in the control of gene expression. Their function in spermatozoa (SPZ) is unknown to date. Twenty-eight genes, involved in SPZ/testicular and epididymal physiology, were given in circBase database to find which of them may generate circular transcripts. We focused on circNAPEPLDiso1, one of the circular RNA isoforms of NAPEPLD transcript, because expressed in human and murine SPZ. In order to functionally characterize circNAPEPLDiso1 as potential microRNA (miRNA) sponge, we performed circNAPEPLDiso1-miR-CATCH and then profiled the expression of 754 miRNAs, by using TaqMan® Low Density Arrays. Among them, miRNAs 146a-5p, 203a-3p, 302c-3p, 766-3p and 1260a (some of them previously shown to be expressed in the oocyte), resulted enriched in circNAPEPLDiso1-miR-CATCHed cell lysate: the network of interactions generated from their validated targets was centred on a core of genes involved in the control of cell cycle. Moreover, computational analysis of circNAPEPLDiso1 sequence also showed its potential translation in a short form of NAPEPLD protein. Interestingly, the expression analysis in murine-unfertilized oocytes revealed low and high levels of circNAPEPLDiso1 and circNAPEPLDiso2, respectively. After fertilization, circNAPEPLDiso1 expression significantly increased, instead circNAPEPLDiso2 expression appeared constant. Based on these data, we suggest that SPZ-derived circNAPEPLDiso1 physically interacts with miRNAs primarily involved in the control of cell cycle; we hypothesize that it may represent a paternal cytoplasmic contribution to the zygote and function as a miRNA decoy inside the fertilized oocytes to regulate the first stages of embryo development. This role is proposed here for the first time.


Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Oócitos/metabolismo , RNA Circular/genética , Espermatozoides/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Simulação por Computador , Fator de Iniciação 4A em Eucariotos/metabolismo , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , MicroRNAs/genética , RNA Circular/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Zigoto/metabolismo
17.
Int J Mol Sci ; 20(9)2019 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31052401

RESUMO

Reproduction, the ability to generate offspring, represents one of the most important biological processes, being essential for the conservation of the species. In mammals, it involves different cell types, tissues and organs, which, by several signaling molecules, coordinate the different events such as gametogenesis, fertilization and embryo development. In the last few years, the role of Extracellular Vesicles, as mediators of cell communication, has been investigated in every phase of these complex processes. Microvesicles and exosomes, identified in the fluid of ovarian follicles during egg maturation, are involved in communication between the developing oocyte and the somatic follicular cells. More recently, it has been demonstrated that, during implantation, Extracellular Vesicles could participate in the complex dialog between the embryo and maternal tissues. In this review, we will focus our attention on extracellular vesicles and their cargo in human female reproduction, mainly underlining the involvement of microRNAs in intercellular communication during the several phases of the reproductive process.


Assuntos
Implantação do Embrião , Vesículas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Oogênese , Blastocisto/metabolismo , Blastocisto/fisiologia , Endométrio/metabolismo , Endométrio/fisiologia , Vesículas Extracelulares/genética , Feminino , Humanos , MicroRNAs/genética , MicroRNAs/metabolismo
18.
Int J Mol Sci ; 19(2)2018 Feb 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29415469

RESUMO

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently emerged as a new class of RNAs, highly enriched in the brain and very stable within cells, exosomes and body fluids. To analyze their involvement in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) pathogenesis, we assayed the expression of twelve circRNAs, physiologically enriched in several regions of the brain, through real-time PCR in a cohort of fifty-six GBM patient biopsies and seven normal brain parenchymas. We focused on hsa_circ_0001445 (circSMARCA5): it was significantly downregulated in GBM biopsies as compared to normal brain tissues (p-value < 0.00001, student's t-test), contrary to its linear isoform counterpart that did not show any differential expression (p-value = 0.694, student's t-test). Analysis of a public dataset revealed a negative correlation between the expression of circSMARCA5 and glioma's histological grade, suggesting its potential negative role in the progression to malignancy. Overexpressing circSMARCA5 in U87MG cells significantly decreased their migration, but not their proliferation rate. In silico scanning of circSMARCA5 sequence revealed an enrichment in binding motifs for several RNA binding proteins (RBPs), specifically involved in splicing. Among them, serine and arginine rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1), a splicing factor known to be a positive controller of cell migration and known to be overexpressed in GBM, was predicted to bind circSMARCA5 by three different prediction tools. Direct interaction between circSMARCA5 and SRSF1 is supported by enhanced UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (eCLIP) data for SRSF1 in K562 cells from Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE). Consistently, U87MG overexpressing circSMARCA5 showed an increased expression of serine and arginine rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3) RNA isoform containing exon 4, normally skipped in a SRSF1-dependent manner, resulting in a non-productive non-sense mediated decay (NMD) substrate. Interestingly, SRSF3 is known to interplay with two other splicing factors, polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) and polypyrimidine tract binding protein 2 (PTBP2), that positively regulate glioma cells migration. Collectively, our data show circSMARCA5 as a promising druggable tumor suppressor in GBM and suggest that it may exert its function by tethering the RBP SRSF1.


Assuntos
Ácidos Nucleicos Livres , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioblastoma/metabolismo , Proteína de Ligação a Regiões Ricas em Polipirimidinas/metabolismo , RNA , Fatores de Processamento de Serina-Arginina/metabolismo , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Processamento Alternativo , Linhagem Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Movimento Celular , Proliferação de Células , Sobrevivência Celular , Biologia Computacional/métodos , Feminino , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Glioblastoma/mortalidade , Glioblastoma/patologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade
19.
Biochim Biophys Acta ; 1859(12): 1502-1514, 2016 12.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27751904

RESUMO

In neuroblastoma, the epigenetic landscape is more profoundly altered in aggressive compared to lower grade tumors and the concomitant hypermethylation of many genes, defined as "methylator phenotype", has been associated with poor outcome. DNA methylation can interfere with gene expression acting at distance through the methylation or demethylation of the regulatory regions of miRNAs. The multiplicity of miRNA targets may result in the simultaneous alteration of many biological pathways like cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and differentiation. We have analyzed the methylation status of a set of miRNAs in a panel of neuroblastoma cell lines and identified a subset of hypermethylated and down-regulated miRNAs (miRNA 34b-3p, miRNA 34b-5p, miRNA34c-5p, and miRNA 124-2-3p) involved in the regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis and in the control of MYCN expression. These miRNAs share, in part, some of the targets whose expression is inversely correlated to the methylation and expression of the corresponding miRNA. To simulate the effect of the demethylation of miRNAs, we transfected the corresponding miRNA-mimics in the same cell lines and observed the down-regulation of a set of their target genes as well as the partial block of the cell cycle and the activation of the apoptotic pathway. The epigenetic alterations of miRNAs described in the present study were found also in a subset of patients at high risk of progression. Our data disclosed a complex network of interactions between epigenetically altered miRNAs and target genes, that could interfere at multiple levels in the control of cell homeostasis.


Assuntos
Metilação de DNA/genética , Epigênese Genética , MicroRNAs/genética , Neuroblastoma/genética , Apoptose/genética , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/genética , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Masculino , MicroRNAs/classificação , Neuroblastoma/patologia , Fatores de Risco , Análise de Sobrevida
20.
Radiol Med ; 122(2): 131-139, 2017 Feb.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27752969

RESUMO

PURPOSE: The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the proton-beam-induced changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of ocular melanoma treated with proton-beam therapy (PBT) in patients undergoing long-term magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) follow-up and to assess whether variations in ADC constitute a reliable biomarker for predicting and detecting the response of ocular melanoma to PBT. METHODS: Seventeen patients with ocular melanoma treated with PBT were enrolled. All patients underwent conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 18 months after the beginning of therapy. Tumor volumes and ADC values of ocular lesions were measured at each examination. Tumor volumes and mean ADC measurements of the five examination series were compared; correlation of ADC values and tumor regression was estimated. RESULTS: Mean ADC values of ocular melanomas significantly increased already 1 month after therapy whereas tumor volume significantly decreased only 6 months after therapy. Pretreatment ADC value of ocular melanomas and early change in ADC value 1 month after therapy significantly correlated with tumor regression. CONCLUSIONS: In ocular melanoma treated with PBT, ADC variations precede volume changes. Both pretreatment ADC and early change in ADC value may predict treatment response, thus expanding the role of DWI from diagnostic to prognostic.


Assuntos
Imagem de Difusão por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Melanoma/diagnóstico por imagem , Melanoma/radioterapia , Terapia com Prótons , Neoplasias Uveais/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias Uveais/radioterapia , Adulto , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Prognóstico , Estudos Prospectivos , Terapia com Prótons/métodos , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Resultado do Tratamento
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