RRM2 Is a CTNNB1 Transport Regulator Promoting Colon Cancer Progression.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The cytoplasmic retention and stabilization of CTNNB1 (ß-catenin) in response to Wnt is well documented in playing a role in tumor growth. Here, through the utilization of a multiplex siRNA library screening strategy, we investigated the modulation of CTNNB1 function in tumor cell progression by ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2 (RRM2). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a multiplex siRNA screening assay to identify targets involved in CTNNB1 nuclear translocation. In order to examine the effect of inhibition of RRM2, selected from the siRNA screening results, we performed RRM2 knockdown and assayed for colon cancer cell viability, sphere formation assay, and invasion assay. The interaction of RRM2 with CTNNB1 and its impact on oncogenesis was examined using immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, and RT-qPCR. RESULTS: After a series of screening and filtration steps, we identified 26 genes that were potentially involved in CTNNB1 nuclear translocation. All candidate genes were validated in various cell lines. The results revealed that siRNA-mediated knockdown of RRM2 reduces the nuclear translocation of CTNNB1. This reduction was accompanied by a decrease in cell count, resulting in a suppressive effect on tumor cell growth. CONCLUSION: High throughput siRNA screening is an attractive strategy for identifying gene functions in cancers and the interaction between RRM2 and CTNNB1 is an attractive drug target for regulating RRM2-CTNNB1-related pathways in cancers.

IGF2BP3 regulates the expression of RRM2 and promotes the progression of rheumatoid arthritis via RRM2/Akt/MMP-9 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common inflammatory and autoimmune disease. Ribonucleotide Reductase Regulatory Subunit M2 (RRM2) is a crucial and a rate-limiting enzyme responsible for deoxynucleotide triphosphate(dNTP) production. We have found a high expression level of RRM2 in patients with RA, but the molecular mechanism of its action remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed the expression of hub genes in RA using GSE77298 datasets downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. RRM2 and insulin-like growth factor-2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) gene knockdown was achieved by infection with lentiviruses. The expression of RRM2, IGF2BP3, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and MMP-9 were detected via western blotting assay. Cell viability was detected via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. MeRIP-qRT-PCR was performed to test the interaction of IGF2BP3 and RRM2 mRNA via m6A modification. Cell proliferation was determined by clone formation assay. Migration and invasion assays were performed using transwell Boyden chamber. RESULTS: RRM2 and IGF2BP3 were highly expressed in clinical specimens and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1ß-stimulated synovial cells. RRM2 and IGF2BP3 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of MH7A cells. The inhibitory effects of IGF2BP3 knockdown were effectively reversed by simultaneously overexpressing RRM2 in MH7A cells. By analyzing N6-methyladenosine (m6A)2Target database, five m6A regulatory target binding sites for IGF2BP3 were identified in RRM2 mRNA, suggesting a direct relationship between IGF2BP3 and RRM2 mRNA. Additionally, in RRM2 small hairpin (sh)RNA lentivirus-infected cells, the levels of phosphorylated Akt and MMP-9 were significantly decreased compared with control shRNA lentivirus-infected cells. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that RRM2 promoted the Akt phosphorylation leading to high expression of MMP-9 to promote the migration and invasive capacities of MH7A cells. Overall, IGF2BP promotes the expression of RRM2, and regulates the migration and invasion of MH7A cells via Akt/MMP-9 pathway to promote RA progression.

Physical interactions between specifically regulated subpopulations of the MCM and RNR complexes prevent genetic instability.

The helicase MCM and the ribonucleotide reductase RNR are the complexes that provide the substrates (ssDNA templates and dNTPs, respectively) for DNA replication. Here, we demonstrate that MCM interacts physically with RNR and some of its regulators, including the kinase Dun1. These physical interactions encompass small subpopulations of MCM and RNR, are independent of the major subcellular locations of these two complexes, augment in response to DNA damage and, in the case of the Rnr2 and Rnr4 subunits of RNR, depend on Dun1. Partial disruption of the MCM/RNR interactions impairs the release of Rad52 -but not RPA-from the DNA repair centers despite the lesions are repaired, a phenotype that is associated with hypermutagenesis but not with alterations in the levels of dNTPs. These results suggest that a specifically regulated pool of MCM and RNR complexes plays non-canonical roles in genetic stability preventing persistent Rad52 centers and hypermutagenesis.

The thioredoxin system determines CHK1 inhibitor sensitivity via redox-mediated regulation of ribonucleotide reductase activity.

Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is critical for cell survival under replication stress (RS). CHK1 inhibitors (CHK1i's) in combination with chemotherapy have shown promising results in preclinical studies but have displayed minimal efficacy with substantial toxicity in clinical trials. To explore combinatorial strategies that can overcome these limitations, we perform an unbiased high-throughput screen in a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line and identify thioredoxin1 (Trx1), a major component of the mammalian antioxidant-system, as a determinant of CHK1i sensitivity. We establish a role for redox recycling of RRM1, the larger subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), and a depletion of the deoxynucleotide pool in this Trx1-mediated CHK1i sensitivity. Further, the TrxR inhibitor auranofin, an approved anti-rheumatoid arthritis drug, shows a synergistic interaction with CHK1i via interruption of the deoxynucleotide pool. Together, we show a pharmacological combination to treat NSCLC that relies on a redox regulatory link between the Trx system and mammalian RNR activity.

Identification of RRM2 as a key ferroptosis-related gene in sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: Sepsis and sepsis-associated organ failure are devastating conditions for which there are no effective therapeutic agent. Several studies have demonstrated the significance of ferroptosis in sepsis. The study aimed to identify ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in sepsis, providing potential therapeutic targets. METHODS: The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was utilized to screen sepsis-associated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were used to explore gene functions. Three machine learning methods were employed to identify sepsis-related hub genes. Survival and multivariate Cox regression analysis allowed further screening for the key gene RRM2 associated with prognosis. The immune infiltration analysis of the screened sepsis key genes was performed. Additionally, a cecum ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced mouse sepsis model was constructed to validate the expression of key gene in the sepsis. RESULTS: Six sepsis-associated differentially expressed FRGs (RRM2, RPL7A, HNRNPA1, PEBP1, MYL8B and TXNIP) were screened by WGCNA and three machine learning methods analysis. Survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that RRM2 was a key gene in sepsis and an independent prognostic factor associated with clinicopathological and molecular features of sepsis. Immune cell infiltration analysis demonstrated that RRM2 had a connection to various immune cells, such as CD4 T cells and neutrophils. Furthermore, animal experiment demonstrated that RRM2 was highly expressed in CLP-induced septic mice, and the use of Fer-1 significantly inhibited RRM2 expression, inhibited serum inflammatory factor TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß expression, ameliorated intestinal injury and improved survival in septic mice. CONCLUSION: RRM2 plays an important role in sepsis and may contribute to sepsis through the ferroptosis pathway. This study provides potential therapeutic targets for sepsis.

Critical role for ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2 in ALV-J-induced activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling via interaction with P27.

Avian leukemia virus subgroup J (ALV-J) causes various diseases associated with tumor formation and decreased fertility and induced immunosuppressive disease, resulting in significant economic losses in the poultry industry globally. Virus usually exploits the host cellular machinery for their replication. Although there are increasing evidences for the cellular proteins involving viral replication, the interaction between ALV-J and host proteins leading to the pivotal steps of viral life cycle are still unclear. Here, we reported that ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) plays a critical role during ALV-J infection by interacting with capsid protein P27 and activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. We found that the expression of RRM2 is effectively increased during ALV-J infection, and that RRM2 facilitates ALV-J replication by interacting with viral capsid protein P27. Furthermore, ALV-J P27 activated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by promoting ß-catenin entry into the nucleus, and RRM2 activated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling by enhancing its phosphorylation at Ser18 during ALV-J infection. These data suggest that the upregulation of RRM2 expression by ALV-J infection favors viral replication in host cells via activating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. IMPORTANCE Our results revealed a novel mechanism by which RRM2 facilitates ALV-J growth. That is, the upregulation of RRM2 expression by ALV-J infection favors viral replication by interacting with capsid protein P27 and activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in host cells. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of serine at position 18 of RRM2 was verified to be the important factor regulating the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. This study provides insights for further studies of the molecular mechanism of ALV-J infection.

Prognostic and Immunological Potential of Ribonucleotide Reductase Subunits in Liver Cancer.

Background: Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) consists of two subunits, the large subunit RRM1 and the small subunit (RRM2 or RRM2B), which is essential for DNA replication. Dysregulations of RR were implicated in multiple types of cancer. However, the abnormal expressions and biologic functions of RR subunits in liver cancer remain to be elucidated. Methods: TCGA, HCCDB, CCLE, HPA, cBioPortal, and GeneMANIA were utilized to perform bioinformatics analysis of RR subunits in the liver cancer. GO, KEGG, and GSEA were used for enrichment analysis. Results: The expressions of RRM1, RRM2, and RRM2B were remarkably upregulated among liver cancer tissue both in mRNA and protein levels. High expression of RRM1 and RRM2 was notably associated with high tumor grade, high stage, short overall survival, and disease-specific survival. Enrichment analyses indicated that RRM1 and RRM2 were related to DNA replication, cell cycle, regulation of nuclear division, DNA repair, and DNA recombination. Correlation analysis indicated that RRM1 and RRM2 were significantly associated with several subsets of immune cell, including Th2 cells, cytotoxic cells, and neutrophils. RRM2B expression was positively associated with immune score and stromal score. Chemosensitivity analysis revealed that sensitivity of nelarabine was positively associated with high expressions of RRM1 and RRM2. The sensitivity of rapamycin was positively associated with high expressions of RRM2B. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated high expression profiles of RR subunits in liver cancer, which may provide novel insights for predicting the poor prognosis and increased chemosensitivity of liver cancer in clinic.

Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase subunit M2(RRM2) gene correlates with prognosis and tumor immunotherapy in pan-cancer.

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) small subunit M2 (RRM2) levels are known to regulate the activity of RNR, a rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) and essential for both DNA replication and repair. The high expression of RRM2 enhances the proliferation of cancer cells, thereby implicating its role as an anti-cancer agent. However, little research has been performed on its role in the prognosis of different types of cancers. This pan-cancer study aimed to evaluate the effect of high expression of RRM2 the tumor prognosis based on clinical information collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. We found RRM2 gene was highly expressed in 30 types of cancers. And we performed a pan-cancer analysis of the genetic alteration status and methylation of RRM2. Results indicated that RRM2 existed hypermethylation, associated with m6A, m1A, and m5C related genes. Subsequently, we explored the microRNAs (miRNA), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), and the transcription factors responsible for the high expression of RRM2 in cancer cells. Results indicated that has-miR-125b-5p and has-miR-30a-5p regulated the expression of RRM2 along with transcription factors, such as CBFB, E2F1, and FOXM. Besides, we established the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) diagram of lncRNAs-miRNAs-circular RNAs (circRNA) involved in the regulation of RRM2 expression. Meanwhile, our study demonstrated that high-RRM2 levels correlated with patients' worse prognosis survival and immunotherapy effects through the consensus clustering and risk scores analysis. Finally, we found RRM2 regulated the resistance of immune checkpoint inhibitors through the PI3K-AKT single pathways. Collectively, our findings elucidated that high expression of RRM2 correlates with prognosis and tumor immunotherapy in pan-cancer. Moreover, these findings may provide insights for further investigation of the RRM2 gene as a biomarker in predicting immunotherapy's response and therapeutic target.

ARID1A promotes chemosensitivity to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer through epigenetic silencing of RRM2.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignancies with very poor prognosis due to its broad resistance to chemotherapy. ARID1A, a subunit of SWI/SNF complex, is involved in pancreatic carcinogenesis through epigenetic silencing of oncogenes. In this study, we aimed to explore whether ARID1A was implicated in the gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer patients via regulating RRM2. We examined the effect of ARID1A depletion on the gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic cancer cells and explored the role of RRM2 in ARID1A-mediated pancreatic cancer cells chemosensitivity to gemcitabine. We found that Knockout of ARID1A led to gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer cells, effect of which could be reversed by RRM2, a gemcitabine resistance related gene. ARID1A decreased the transcription of RRM2, and directly bound to the promoter of RRM2. Moreover, expression of RRM2 was negatively correlated with ARID1A in pancreatic cancer tissues. Thus, ARID1A-mediated RRM2 epigenetic suppression is crucial for enhancement of pancreatic cancer chemosensitivity to gemcitabine, and ARID1A could be used as a biomarker to guide the gemcitabine chemotherapy of pancreatic cancer.

Novel human-derived EML4-ALK fusion cell lines identify ribonucleotide reductase RRM2 as a target of activated ALK in NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: Echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) rearrangements occur in 3% to 7% of lung adenocarcinomas and are targets for treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Here we have developed three novel EML4-ALK-positive patient-derived Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer (NSCLC) cancer cell lines, CUTO8 (variant 1), CUTO9 (variant 1) and CUTO29 (variant 3) and included a fourth ALK-positive cell line YU1077 (variant 3) to study ALK-positive signaling and responses. Variants 1 and 3 are the most common EML4-ALK variants expressed in ALK-positive NSCLC, and currently cell lines representing these EML4-ALK variants are limited. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Resazurin assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. Protein levels were determined using western blotting. RNA sequencing was performed in all four cell lines to identify differentially expressed genes. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to determine the presence of EML4-ALK fusion and ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance mutations. RESULTS: In this study, we have confirmed expression of the corresponding ALK fusion protein and assessed their sensitivity to a range of ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These patient derived cell lines exhibit differential sensitivity to lorlatinib, brigatinib and alectinib, with EML4-ALK variant 3 containing cell lines exhibiting increased sensitivity to lorlatinib and brigatinib as compared to alectinib. These cell lines were further characterized by whole genome sequencing and RNA-seq analysis that identified the ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit 2 (RRM2) as a downstream and potential therapeutic target in ALK-positive NSCLC. CONCLUSION: We provide a characterization of four novel EML4-ALK-positive NSCLC cell lines, highlighting genomic heterogeneity and differential responses to ALK TKI treatment. The RNA-Seq characterization of ALK-positive NSCLC CUTO8, CUTO9, CUTO29 and YU1077 cell lines reported here, has been compiled in an interactive ShinyApp resource for public data exploration (https://ccgg.ugent.be/shiny/nsclc_rrm2_2022/).

E2F2 enhances the chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine by regulating the cell cycle and upregulating the expression of RRM2.

Both pro-oncogenic and anti-oncogenic effects of E2F2 have been revealed in different malignancies. However, the precise role of E2F2 in pancreatic cancer, in particular in relation to therapeutic intervention with gemcitabine, remains unclear. In this study, the effect of E2F2 on the proliferation and cell cycle modulation of pancreatic cancer cells, and whether E2F2 plays a role in the treatment of pancreatic cancer cells by gemcitabine, were investigated. The expression of E2F2 in pancreatic cancer was assessed by various methods including bioinformatics prediction, Western blotting, and real-time PCR. The effect of E2F2 on the proliferation and cell cycling of pancreatic cancer cells was analyzed by tissue culture and flow cytometry. In addition, the effect of E2F2 on the intervention of pancreatic cancer by gemcitabine was investigated using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. The expression of E2F2 was found to be significantly increased in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. The pathogenic capacity of E2F2 lied in the fact that this transcription factor promoted the transformation of pancreatic cancer cell cycle from G1-phase to S-phase, thus enhancing the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, the expression of E2F2 was increased in pancreatic cancer cells in the presence of gemcitabine, and the augmented expression of E2F2 upregulated the gemcitabine resistance-related gene RRM2 and its downstream signaling molecule deoxycytidine kinase (DCK). The resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine was confirmed using both in vitro and in vivo models. In this study, E2F2 has been demonstrated for the first time to play a pro-oncogenic role in pancreatic cancer by promoting the transition of the cell cycle from G1-phase to S-phase and, therefore, enhancing the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. E2F2 has also been demonstrated to enhance the chemotherapy resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine by upregulating the expression of RRM2 and DCK that is downstream of RRM2.

RRM1 variants cause a mitochondrial DNA maintenance disorder via impaired de novo nucleotide synthesis.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion/deletions syndromes (MDDS) encompass a clinically and etiologically heterogenous group of mitochondrial disorders caused by impaired mtDNA maintenance. Among the most frequent causes of MDDS are defects in nucleoside/nucleotide metabolism, which is critical for synthesis and homeostasis of the deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) substrates of mtDNA replication. A central enzyme for generating dNTPs is ribonucleotide reductase, a critical mediator of de novo nucleotide synthesis composed of catalytic RRM1 subunits in complex with RRM2 or p53R2. Here, we report 5 probands from 4 families who presented with ptosis and ophthalmoplegia as well as other clinical manifestations and multiple mtDNA deletions in muscle. We identified 3 RRM1 loss-of-function variants, including a dominant catalytic site variant (NP_001024.1: p.N427K) and 2 homozygous recessive variants at p.R381, which has evolutionarily conserved interactions with the specificity site. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations indicate mechanisms by which RRM1 variants affect protein structure. Cultured primary skin fibroblasts of probands manifested mtDNA depletion under cycling conditions, indicating impaired de novo nucleotide synthesis. Fibroblasts also exhibited aberrant nucleoside diphosphate and dNTP pools and mtDNA ribonucleotide incorporation. Our data reveal that primary RRM1 deficiency and, by extension, impaired de novo nucleotide synthesis are causes of MDDS.

LncRNA HOTAIR facilitates proliferation and represses apoptosis of retinoblastoma cells through the miR-20b-5p/RRM2/PI3K/AKT axis.

PURPOSE: Retinoblastoma (RB) represents an adolescent eye malignancy. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) HOTAIR shows aberrant expression in many malignancies. This research investigated the mechanism of HOTAIR in RB. METHODS: Normal retinal cell lines (ARPE-19 and RPE-1) and RB cell lines (ORB50, Y79, HXO-RB44, and WERI-RB) were selected for detection of HOTAIR expression by qRT-PCR. sh-HOTAIR was delivered into Y79 and HXO-RB44 cells. Cell-cycle distribution, proliferation, and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Binding relationships among HOTAIR, miR-20b-5p, and RRM2 were confirmed using dual-luciferase assay. Roles of miR-20b-5p and RRM2 in RB cell-cycle distribution, proliferation, and apoptosis were ascertained by functional rescue experiments. Murine model of xenograft tumor was established, followed by detection of tumor growth and counting of Ki67-positive cells. Expressions of proliferation- and apoptosis-associated proteins and PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: HOTAIR was elevated in RB cells relative to that in normal retinal cells and showed relatively high expression in Y79 and HXO-RB44 cells. sh-HOTAIR induced RB cell-cycle arrest, restrained proliferation, and strengthened apoptosis. HOTAIR functioned as the ceRNA of miR-20b-5p and targeted RRM2. RB cells had poorly-expressed miR-20b-5p and highly-expressed RRM2. miR-20b-5p downregulation or RRM2 overexpression facilitated RB cell-cycle and proliferation, suppressed apoptosis, and reversed the protective effect of sh-HOTAIR on RB. sh-HOTAIR reduced tumor growth and Ki67-positive cells in vivo and inactivated PI3K/AKT pathway. CONCLUSION: LncRNA HOTAIR upregulated RRM2 by competitively binding to miR-20b-5p and activated PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby facilitating proliferation and repressing apoptosis of RB cells.

RRM2 Alleviates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity through the AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent that plays an unparalleled role in cancer treatment. However, its serious dose-dependent cardiotoxicity, which eventually contributes to irreversible heart failure, has greatly limited the widespread clinical application of DOX. A previous study has demonstrated that the ribonucleotide reductase M2 subunit (RRM2) exerts salutary effects on promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis and autophagy. However, the specific function of RRM2 in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity is yet to be determined. This study aimed to elucidate the role and potential mechanism of RRM2 on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by investigating neonatal primary cardiomyocytes and mice treated with DOX. Subsequently, the results indicated that RRM2 expression was significantly reduced in mice hearts and primary cardiomyocytes. Apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins, such as cleaved-Caspase3 (C-Caspase3), LC3B, and beclin1, were distinctly upregulated. Additionally, RRM2 deficiency led to increased autophagy and apoptosis in cells. RRM2 overexpression, on the contrary, alleviated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. Consistently, DIDOX, an inhibitor of RRM2, attenuated the protective effect of RRM2. Mechanistically, we found that AKT/mTOR inhibitors could reverse the function of RRM2 overexpression on DOX-induced autophagy and apoptosis, which means that RRM2 could have regulated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity through the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, our experiment established that RRM2 could be a potential treatment in reversing DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction.

RRM2 expression in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer and its prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a heterodimeric tetramer consisting of two Ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase large subunits (RRM1) and two Ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase small subunits (RRM2). RRM2 is the building subunit of RNR that is important for synthesis of Deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) during S phase of cell cycle during DNA replication. RRM2 is associated with poor prognosis in lung and colorectal cancer. In breast cancer, increased RRM2 protein level is strongly correlated with large tumour size, positive lymph node and relapse. In this study, we aimed to study expression of RRM2 in breast cancer and to correlate it with different clinicopathological parameters in Egyptian women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was performed by investigating RRM2 protein expression in breast cancer and correlating the results with other clinicopathological variables using immunohistochemistry and tissue microarrays. RESULTS: About 77% of cases were RRM2 positive. High Ki67 was observed in cases with high RRM2 score. The majority of non-luminal cases expressed RRM2, however this was statistically insignificant. In ER positive group, RRM2 expression was associated with shorter disease free survival with borderline significance. CONCLUSION: RRM2 protein expression can help in evaluating outcome of breast cancer patients and could be a potential therapeutic target.

Platycodon D-induced A549 Cell Apoptosis through RRM1-Regulated p53/VEGF/ MMP2 Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Platycodin D (PD), a major pharmacological constituent from the Chinese medicinal herb named Platycodonis Radix, has shown potent anti-tumor activity. Also, it is reported that PD could inhibit cellular growth in the non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) A549 cell line. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully clarified. METHODS: Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) assay were employed to study the apoptosis effects of PD on A549 cells. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate protein expression. Also, we used a siRNA against p53, as well as a plasmid-based RRM1 over-expression to investigate their functions. RESULTS: It is demonstrated that PD inhibited A549 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Further investigations showed that PD induced cell apoptosis, which was supported by dose-dependent and time-dependent caspase-3 activation and p53/VEGF/MMP2 pathway regulation. Also, PD demonstrated the inhibition effect of ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1), whose role in various tumors is contradictory. Remarkably, in this work, RRM1 overexpression in A549 cells could have a negative impact on the regulation of the p53/VEGF/MMP2 pathway induced by PD treatment. Note that RRM1 overexpression also attenuated cell apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation of A549 treated with PD. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that PD could inhibit A549 cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis by regulating p53/VEGF/MMP2 pathway, in which RRM1 plays an important role directly.

Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for soft tissue sarcoma.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are highly aggressive malignant tumors that exhibit poor therapeutic outcomes. Hence, we aimed to track down a potential gene that can be used as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for this malignancy. We integrated omics analysis of clinical data and in vitro studies and identified Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) as a potential oncogene associated with STS prognosis. We found RRM2 is highly expressed in STS cell lines and tissues. STS patients with increased RRM2 levels showed worse overall survival, disease-free survival, progression-free survival, and disease-specific survival. Further, overexpression of RRM2 in HT1080 cells induces proliferation, migration, invasion, and colony formation, whereas its silencing arrest the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase and induces apoptosis. Taken together, we established RRM2 to be positively associated with oncogenesis and prognosis of STS and therefore could be a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target.

Bone marrow ribonucleotide reductase mRNA levels and methylation status as prognostic factors in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome treated with 5-Azacytidine.

Ribonucleotide Reductase (RNR) is a two-subunit (RRM1, RRM2) enzyme, responsible for the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides required for DNA replication. To evaluate RNR as a biomarker of response to 5-azacytidine, we measured RNR mRNA levels by a quantitative real-time PCR in bone marrow samples of 98 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) treated with 5-azacytidine with parallel quantification of the gene promoter's methylation. Patients with low RRM1 levels had a high RRM1 methylation status (p = 0.005) and a better response to treatment with 5-azacytidine (p = 0.019). A next-generation sequencing for genes of interest in MDS was also carried out in a subset of 61 samples. Splicing factor mutations were correlated with lower RRM1 mRNA levels (p = 0.044). Our results suggest that the expression of RNR is correlated with clinical outcomes, thus its expression could be used as a prognostic factor for response to 5-azacytidine and a possible therapeutic target in MDS.

Analysis of glutathione mediated S-(de)nitrosylation in complex biological matrices by immuno-spin trapping and identification of two novel substrates.

The intracellular concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) lies in the range of 1-10 mM, thereby indisputably making it the most abundant intracellular thiol. Such a copious amount of GSH makes it the most potent and robust cellular antioxidant that plays a crucial role in cellular defence against redox stress. The role of GSH as a denitrosylating agent is well established; in this study, we demonstrate GSH mediated denitrosylation of HepG2 cell-derived protein nitrosothiols (PSNOs), by a unique spin-trapping mechanism, using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) as the spin trapping agent, followed by a western blot analysis. We also report our findings of two, hitherto unidentified substrates of GSH mediated S-denitrosylation, namely S-nitrosoglutaredoxin 1 (Grx1-SNO) and S-nitrosylated R1 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (R1-SNO).

Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 promotes proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma (RB) is an intraocular malignant tumor that often occurs in children. Along with the improvement of treatment strategies, the cure rate of RB has increased significantly. However, the treatment of advanced and recurrent RB remains as a critical challenge. Therefore, studying the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of RB is essential for the development of novel and effective therapeutic strategies. Through the analysis of a previously published microarray study, we found that ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) was highly expressed in RB tissues as compared to normal tissues. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role and mechanism of RRM2 in regulating the progression of RB. We first demonstrated that RRM2 expression level in RB tissues and cell lines was significantly higher when compared to that in normal retinal tissue and cell lines, and high RRM2 expression level was associated with a poorer overall survival of patients. In RB cells, RRM2 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), while RRM2 silencing suppressed these biological features. Silencing RRM2 reduced the activation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, and the presence of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibitor INCB attenuated the effect of RRM2 overexpression. Collectively, our data indicate that RRM2 promotes the progression of RB by activating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Targeting RRM2/JAK2/STAT3 axis lays a theoretical foundation for the formulation of novel RB therapy.