Autism patient-derived SHANK2BY29X mutation affects the development of ALDH1A1 negative dopamine neuron.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a range of neurodevelopmental conditions. Different mutations on a single ASD gene contribute to heterogeneity of disease phenotypes, possibly due to functional diversity of generated isoforms. SHANK2, a causative gene in ASD, demonstrates this phenomenon, but there is a scarcity of tools for studying endogenous SHANK2 proteins in an isoform-specific manner. Here, we report a point mutation on SHANK2, which is found in a patient with autism, located on exon of the SHANK2B transcript variant (NM_133266.5), hereby SHANK2BY29X. This mutation results in an early stop codon and an aberrant splicing event that impacts SHANK2 transcript variants distinctly. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) carrying this mutation, from the patient or isogenic editing, fail to differentiate into functional dopamine (DA) neurons, which can be rescued by genetic correction. Available SMART-Seq single-cell data from human midbrain reveals the abundance of SHANK2B transcript in the ALDH1A1 negative DA neurons. We then show that SHANK2BY29X mutation primarily affects SHANK2B expression and ALDH1A1 negative DA neurons in vitro during early neuronal developmental stage. Mice knocked in with the identical mutation exhibit autistic-like behavior, decreased occupancy of ALDH1A1 negative DA neurons and decreased dopamine release in ventral tegmental area (VTA). Our study provides novel insights on a SHANK2 mutation derived from autism patient and highlights SHANK2B significance in ALDH1A1 negative DA neuron.

Idebenone Exerts anti-Triple Negative Breast Cancer Effects via Dual Signaling Pathways of GADD45 and AMPK.

Idebenone, a mitochondrial regulator, has exhibited anti-cancer activity in neurogenic and prostate tumor cells; however, its efficacy and specific targets in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the potential of Idebenone as a therapeutic agent for TNBC. TNBC cell lines and Xenograft mouse models were used to assess the effect of Idebenone on TNBC both in vitro and in vivo. To investigate the underlying mechanism of Idebenone's effect on TNBC, cell viability assay, transwell invasion assay, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, immunofluorescence staining, and transcriptome sequencing were utilized. The results showed that Idebenone impeded the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells, suppressed apoptosis, and halted the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. The inhibitory effect of Idebenone on TNBC was associated with the GADD45/CyclinB/CDK1 signaling pathway. By disrupting the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and promoting mitophagy, Idebenone promoted cell autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR pathway, thus further suppressing the proliferation of TNBC cells. Furthermore, we found that Idebenone inhibited the development of TNBC in vivo. In conclusion, Idebenone may be a promising therapeutic option for TNBC as it is capable of inducing autophagy and apoptosis.

VEGF-B prevents excessive angiogenesis by inhibiting FGF2/FGFR1 pathway.

Although VEGF-B was discovered as a VEGF-A homolog a long time ago, the angiogenic effect of VEGF-B remains poorly understood with limited and diverse findings from different groups. Notwithstanding, drugs that inhibit VEGF-B together with other VEGF family members are being used to treat patients with various neovascular diseases. It is therefore critical to have a better understanding of the angiogenic effect of VEGF-B and the underlying mechanisms. Using comprehensive in vitro and in vivo methods and models, we reveal here for the first time an unexpected and surprising function of VEGF-B as an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis by inhibiting the FGF2/FGFR1 pathway when the latter is abundantly expressed. Mechanistically, we unveil that VEGF-B binds to FGFR1, induces FGFR1/VEGFR1 complex formation, and suppresses FGF2-induced Erk activation, and inhibits FGF2-driven angiogenesis and tumor growth. Our work uncovers a previously unrecognized novel function of VEGF-B in tethering the FGF2/FGFR1 pathway. Given the anti-angiogenic nature of VEGF-B under conditions of high FGF2/FGFR1 levels, caution is warranted when modulating VEGF-B activity to treat neovascular diseases.

Critical role of mitogen-inducible gene 6 in restraining endothelial cell permeability to maintain vascular homeostasis.

Although mitogen-inducible gene 6 (MIG6) is highly expressed in vascular endothelial cells, it remains unknown whether MIG6 affects vascular permeability. Here, we show for the first time a critical role of MIG6 in limiting vascular permeability. We unveil that genetic deletion of Mig6 in mice markedly increased VEGFA-induced vascular permeability, and MIG6 knockdown impaired endothelial barrier function. Mechanistically, we reveal that MIG6 inhibits VEGFR2 phosphorylation by binding to the VEGFR2 kinase domain 2, and MIG6 knockdown increases the downstream signaling of VEGFR2 by enhancing phosphorylation of PLCγ1 and eNOS. Moreover, MIG6 knockdown disrupted the balance between RAC1 and RHOA GTPase activation, leading to endothelial cell barrier breakdown and the elevation of vascular permeability. Our findings demonstrate an essential role of MIG6 in maintaining endothelial cell barrier integrity and point to potential therapeutic implications of MIG6 in the treatment of diseases involving vascular permeability. Xing et al. (2022) investigated the critical role of MIG6 in vascular permeability. MIG6 deficiency promotes VEGFA-induced vascular permeability via activation of PLCγ1-Ca2+-eNOS signaling and perturbation of the balance in RAC1/RHOA activation, resulting in endothelial barrier disruption.

CircRNA hsa_circRNA_104348 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression through modulating miR-187-3p/RTKN2 axis and activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have confirmed to participate in diverse biological functions in cancer. However, the expression patterns of circRNAs on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In the present study, we clarified that hsa_circRNA_104348 was dramatically upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Patients with HCC displaying high hsa_circRNA_104348 level possessed poor prognosis. Has_circ_104348 facilitated proliferation, migration, and invasion, meanwhile suppressed apoptosis of HCC cell. Furthermore, hsa_circRNA_104348 directly targeted miR-187-3p, could regulate miR-187-3p to affect proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of HCC cells, and may have effect on Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, RTKN2 could be a direct target of miR-187-3p. In addition, knockdown of hsa_circRNA_104348 attenuated HCC tumorigenesis and lung metastasis in vivo. Taken together, these findings indicated that circular RNA hsa_circRNA_104348 might function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to promotes HCC progression by targeting miR-187-3p/RTKN2 axis and activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Circular RNA Gprc5a Promotes HCC Progression by Activating YAP1/TEAD1 Signalling Pathway by Sponging miR-1283.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNA (circRNA) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Many studies indicate that circRNA Gprc5a is significantly upregulated and functions as an oncogene in a variety of cancers. However, the molecular mechanism of circGprc5a in liver cancer remains unclear. METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to measure the expression levels of circGprc5a, miR-1283, YAP1 and TEAD1 mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues or cells. YAP1 and TEAD1 protein levels were detected by Western blot. CCK-8 assay, cell colony formation, BrdU incorporation and Annexin V-FITC/PI assays were performed to analyze the effects of circGprc5a and miR-1283 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. The relationship between circGprc5a, miR-1283, YAP1 and TEAD1 was analyzed using bioinformatic analysis and luciferase. The tumor changes in mice were detected by in vivo experiments. RESULTS: CircGprc5a was highly expressed in liver cancer, and closely related poor survival of patients with liver cancer. Knockout of circGprc5a inhibited proliferation of HCC and induced apoptosis. CircGprc5a activated the YAP1/TEAD1 signaling pathway by acting as a sponge for miR-1283. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-1283 abolished the promotion of circGprc5a on HCC cells. Therefore, miR-1283 expression correlated negatively with circGprc5a expression yet positively with the expression of YAP1/TEAD1 in liver cancer. CONCLUSION: CircGprc5a promoted the development of HCC by inhibiting the expression of miR-1283 and activating the YAP1/TEAD1 signaling pathway.

Depletion of microglia in developing cortical circuits reveals its critical role in glutamatergic synapse development, functional connectivity, and critical period plasticity.

Microglia populate the early developing brain and mediate pruning of the central synapses. Yet, little is known on their functional significance in shaping the developing cortical circuits. We hypothesize that the developing cortical circuits require microglia for proper circuit maturation and connectivity, and as such, ablation of microglia during the cortical critical period may result in a long-lasting circuit abnormality. We administered PLX3397, a colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor, to mice starting at postnatal day 14 and through P28, which depletes >75% of microglia in the visual cortex (VC). This treatment largely covers the critical period (P19-32) of VC maturation and plasticity. Patch clamp recording in VC layer 2/3 (L2/3) and L5 neurons revealed increased mEPSC frequency and reduced amplitude, and decreased AMPA/NMDA current ratio, indicative of altered synapse maturation. Increased spine density was observed in these neurons, potentially reflecting impaired synapse pruning. In addition, VC intracortical circuit functional connectivity, assessed by laser scanning photostimulation combined with glutamate uncaging, was dramatically altered. Using two photon longitudinal dendritic spine imaging, we confirmed that spine elimination/pruning was diminished during VC critical period when microglia were depleted. Reduced spine pruning thus may account for increased spine density and disrupted connectivity of VC circuits. Lastly, using single-unit recording combined with monocular deprivation, we found that ocular dominance plasticity in the VC was obliterated during the critical period as a result of microglia depletion. These data establish a critical role of microglia in developmental cortical synapse pruning, maturation, functional connectivity, and critical period plasticity.

Correction to: LncMAPK6 drives MAPK6 expression and liver TIC self-renewal.

In the original publication of this article [1], the author found an error in Fig. 2f. lncGPR107 should be changed to lncMAPK6, and the corrected Fig. 2 is shown below.

Elevated levels of hsa_circ_006100 in gastric cancer promote cell growth and metastasis via miR-195/GPRC5A signalling.

OBJECTIVES: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs, some of which are thought to be involved in gastric cancer development. Here, we examined the functions of circRNA hsa_circ_006100 in gastric cancer cells and an animal model of gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of hsa_circ_006100, miR-195 and various functional genes was determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Cell viability, clone formation, apoptosis and cell migration/invasion abilities were analysed by the CCK-8 assay, crystal violet staining, Hoechst staining and Transwell assay, respectively. A tumour model was established by subcutaneously injecting tumour cells into nude mice. Levels of protein expression were analysed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A bioinformatics analysis showed that miR-195 was negatively co-expressed with hsa_circ_006100. Patients with a high hsa_circ_006100 level or low miR-195 level had tumours with a high TNM stage, poor cellular differentiation and lymph node metastasis. miR-195 was targeted and inhibited by hsa_circ_006100. Overexpression of hsa_circ_006100 enhanced cellular viability and proliferation, while miR-195 suppressed hsa_circ_006100-enhanced cell growth and induced apoptosis in MGC-803 and AGS cells. Forced hsa_circ_006100 expression promoted the migration and invasion of MGC-803 and AGS cells, while those activities were inhibited by miR-195. Mechanistically, GPRC5A was predicted as a target of miR-195 and was upregulated in gastric cancer. A miR-195 inhibitor restored cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion, and repressed apoptosis via GPRC5A. In vivo studies showed that knockdown of hsa_circ_006100 delayed tumour growth, reduced PCNA expression and upregulated miR-195 and BCL-2 expression which was restored by miR-195 inhibition due to GPRC5A/EGFR signalling, and changed the EMT phenotype in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Hsa_circ_006100 functions as an oncogene in gastric cancer and exerts its effects via miR-195/GPRC5A signalling.

The lncRNA TDRG1 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting miR-326 to regulate MAPK1 expression in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recently, lncRNA-Testis developmental related gene 1 (TDRG1) was proved to be a key modulator in reproductive organ-related cancers. The biological role of TDRG1 in cervical cancer (CC) progression remains largely unknown. METHOD: Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) examined the expression level of TDRG1, microRNA (miR)-326 and MAPK1 mRNA. OS tissues and corresponding relative normal tissues, as well as CC cell lines and normal cell line Ect1/E6E7 were collected to determine the expression of TDRG1 in CC. MTT, colony formation, wound-healing, transwell and flow cytometer assay detected the influence of TDRG1 and miR-326 on CC cells growth, metastasis and apoptosis. Western blot examined proteins level. Bioinformatics, RNA pull-down assay, RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays detected the molecular mechanism of TDRG1 in CC. Xenograft tumour model was established to determine the role of TDRG1 in vivo. RESULTS: The expression of TDRG1 was significantly increased in CC tissues and cell lines compared with normal tissue and normal cell line respectively and its expression was associated with clinicopathological characteristics of CC patients. Knockdown of TDRG1 inhibited the cell proliferation, migration and invasion in Hela and SIHA cells. Moreover, TDRG1 directly interacted with miR-326, and the inhibition effect on cell growth and metastasis induced by TDRG1 siRNA can be abrogated by miR-326 silencing by its inhibitor in Hela and SIHA cells. Further, MAPK1 was proved to be a direct target of miR-326, and its expression was negatively regulated by miR-326 while positively modulated by TDRG1. CONCLUSION: TDRG1 acts as a competing endogenous lncRNA (ceRNA) to modulate MAPK1 by sponging miR-326 in CC, shedding new light on TDRG1-directed diagnostics and therapeutics in CC.

Uncovering the Functional Link Between SHANK3 Deletions and Deficiency in Neurodevelopment Using iPSC-Derived Human Neurons.

SHANK3 mutations, including de novo deletions, have been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the effects of SHANK3 loss of function on neurodevelopment remain poorly understood. Here we generated human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) in vitro, followed by neuro-differentiation and lentivirus-mediated shRNA expression to evaluate how SHANK3 knockdown affects the in vitro neurodevelopmental process at multiple time points (up to 4 weeks). We found that SHANK3 knockdown impaired both early stage of neuronal development and mature neuronal function, as demonstrated by a reduction in neuronal soma size, growth cone area, neurite length and branch numbers. Notably, electrophysiology analyses showed defects in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Furthermore, transcriptome analyses revealed that multiple biological pathways related to neuron projection, motility and regulation of neurogenesis were disrupted in cells with SHANK3 knockdown. In conclusion, utilizing a human iPSC-based neural induction model, this study presented combined morphological, electrophysiological and transcription evidence that support that SHANK3 as an intrinsic, cell autonomous factor that controls cellular function development in human neurons.

Prognostic value of plasma fibrinogen in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels have been associated with tumor progression in several malignancies. Our study aims to characterize the clinical significance of elevated plasma fibrinogen levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant published articles were systematically searched in electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. The pooled differences in plasma fibrinogen levels among HCC, cirrhotic, and control groups were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and their corresponding 95% CIs. The associations between elevated fibrinogen and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS)/recurrence-free survival (RFS) were expressed as HRs and their 95% CIs, whereas the associations between elevated fibrinogen and various types of clinical characteristic of patients with HCC were expressed as ORs and their corresponding 95% CIs. RESULTS: Results showed that the plasma fibrinogen levels in patients with HCC were not significantly different than that in healthy controls (WMD = 0.50, 95% CI = [-0.82, 1.82], P = 0.457) or patients with cirrhosis (WMD = -0.62, 95% CI = [-1.56, 0.33], P = 0.200). However, our results showed that compared to those with normal levels, patients with HCC and elevated plasma fibrinogen levels showed poorer OS (HR = 2.08, 95% CI = [1.67, 2.59], P < 0.0001) and DFS/RFS (HR = 1.90, 95% CI = [1.52, 2.37], P < 0.0001). Results of trial sequential analysis of the OS indicated that currently available studies were sufficient to validate the negative prognostic value of elevated plasma fibrinogen in patients with HCC. Clinicopathological analyses showed that high plasma fibrinogen levels were associated with tumor progression as indicated by advanced tumor stage, larger tumor size, increased tumor number, and the presence of vascular invasion. CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels are associated with poor prognosis and advanced tumor progression. Plasma fibrinogen may serve as a negative prognostic biomarker in patients with HCC.

Long non-coding RNA TPT1-AS1 promotes cell growth and metastasis in cervical cancer via acting AS a sponge for miR-324-5p.

BACKGROUND: Increasing studies confirmed that abnormal lncRNAs expression play a critical role in cervical cancer (CC) development and progression. LncRNA TPT1-AS1, a novel lncRNA, its role and underlying mechanisms involved in CC remain largely unknown. METHODS: Colony formation, EdU and Transwell assays were used to determine colony formation, proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. The subcutaneous tumor model and tail vein injection lung metastasis model were performed to check tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Luciferase activity and RIP experiment were carried out to determine the interaction between miR-324-5p and TPT1-AS1. RESULTS: We demonstrated for the first time that TPT1-AS1 expression was up-regulated in CC tissues and cell lines. High TPT1-AS1 was significantly correlated with adverse prognostic characteristics and poor survival. TPT1-AS1 overexpression and knockdown experiments revealed that TPT1-AS1 promoted cell colony formation, proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT progression of CC cells in vitro and in vivo. The underlying mechanism indicated that TPT1-AS1 functioned as an endogenous sponge for miR-324-5p in CC cells. Gain- and loss- experiment confirmed that miR-324-5p inhibited cell colony formation, proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT progression of CC cells, and mediated the biological effects of TPT1-AS1. Further investigations confirmed that SP1 was a direct target of miR-324-5p and mediated the effects of TPT1-AS1 and miR-324-5p in CC. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated for the first time that TPT1-AS1 as an oncogenic lncRNA in CC progression and as a potential target for CC cure.

LncGPR107 drives the self-renewal of liver tumor initiating cells and liver tumorigenesis through GPR107-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: With self-renewal and differentiation properties, liver tumor initiating cells (TICs) are the reasons for tumor initiation, metastasis and drug resistance. G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) are critical modulators in many physiological and pathological processes. While, their roles in liver TICs are unknown. METHODS: An unbiased screening was performed using online-available data dataset. Liver TICs were sorted by FACS with surface marker CD133, or enriched by oncosphere formation. TIC self-renewal was examined by oncosphere formation and tumor initiation assay. Loss of function and gain of function assays were performed to examine the role of lncRNA. RNA pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation, ChIP, western blot and double FISH were used explore the molecular mechanism of lncRNA. RESULTS: We performed an unbiased screening for GPCR expression in liver cancers, and found GPR107 was the most highly expressed GPCR in liver cancer and liver TICs. GPR107 was essential for the self-renewal of liver TICs. The expression of GPR107 was regulated by a long noncoding RNA lncGPR107. LncGPR107 was also highly expressed in liver cancers and liver TICs. LncGPR107 drove the self-renewal of liver TICs through GPR107. Moreover, lncGPR107 recruited SRCAP complex to GPR107 promoter to drive its transcriptional activation. LncGPR107 depletion inhibited the binding of SRCAP complex and GPR107 promoter and subsequent GPR107 expression. Moreover, LncGPR107-SRCAP-GPR107 can be targeted for liver TIC elimination. CONCLUSION: GPR107 was the most highly expressed GPCR in liver cancer and liver TICs. LncGPR107 participated in the transcriptional regulation of GPR107 in cis, through recruiting SRCAP remodeling complex to GPR107 promoter. This work revealed the important role of GPCR signaling in liver TIC self-renewal and added a new layer for liver TIC and GPCR regulation.

lncAKHE enhances cell growth and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma via activation of NOTCH2 signaling.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer and gives rise to numerous deaths around the world every year. However, the molecular mechanism that controls hepatocarcinogenesis remains largely unknown. Here we found out an uncharacterized long noncoding RNA named lncAKHE. We found that lncAKHE was highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. lncAKHE depletion remarkably impaired the abilities of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma while promgoogoting cell apoptosis. Moreover, higher expression level of lncAKHE in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was associated with more clinical severity and lower survival rates. Mechanistically, lncAKHE cooperated with YEATS4 to enhance the activation of NOTCH2 signaling which is usually abnormally upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma. In conclusions, our study showed that lncAKHE may promote tumor progression in HCC and serve as a novel target for HCC treatment.

LncMAPK6 drives MAPK6 expression and liver TIC self-renewal.

BACKGROUND: Liver tumor initiating cells (TICs) have self-renewal and differentiate capacities, and largely contribute to tumor initiation, metastasis and drug resistance. MAPK signaling is a critical pathway in many biological processes, while its role in liver TICs hasn't been explored. METHODS: Online-available dataset was used for unbiased screening. Liver TICs were examined CD133 FACS or oncosphere formation. TIC self-renewal was detected by oncosphere formation and tumor initiation assay. LncRNA function was detected by loss of function or gain of function assays. The molecular mechanism of lncRNA was explored by RNA pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation, ChIP, western blot and double FISH. RESULTS: Here, we examined the expression profiles of MAPK components (MAPKs, MAP2Ks, MAP3Ks, MAP4Ks), and found MAPK6 is most highly expressed in liver cancer samples. Moreover, a divergent lncRNA (long noncoding RNA) of MAPK6, termed lncMAPK6 here, is also overexpressed along with liver tumorigenesis. LncMAPK6 promotes liver tumor propagation and TIC self-renewal through MAPK6. LncMAPK6 interacts with and recruits RNA polymerase II to MAPK6 promoter, and finally activates the transcription of MAPK6. Through MAPK6 transcriptional regulation, lncMAPK6 drives MARK signaling activation. LncMAPK6-MAPK6 pathway can be used for liver TIC targeting. Altogether, lncMAPK6 promotes MARK signaling and the self-renewal of liver TICs through MAPK6 expression. CONCLUSION: MAPK6 was the most highly expressed MAPK component in liver cancer and liver TICs and lncMAPK6 participated in the transcriptional regulation of MAPK6in cis. This work revealed the importance role of MAPK signaling in liver TIC self-renewal and added a new layer for liver TIC and MAPK6 expression regulation.