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BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer is a significant global health concern, ranking seventh in incidence and sixth in mortality. It encompasses two pathological types: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma, with ESCC being more prevalent globally and associated with higher mortality rates. The POU (Pit-Oct-Unc) domain family transcription factors, comprising 15 members, play important roles in embryonic development and organ formation. Aberrant expression of POUs has been observed in several human cancers, influencing cell proliferation, tumor invasion, and drug resistance. However, their specific role in ESCC remains unknown. METHODS: We analyzed TCGA and GEO databases to assess POUs expression in ESCC tissues. Kaplan-Meier and ROC analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic value of POUs. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Protein-Protein interaction network were used to explore the potential pathway. Functional assays (Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU Staining assay, and cloning formation assay) and mechanism analyses (RNA-seq, flow cytometry, and Western blot) were conducted to determine the effects of POU4F1 knockdown on ESCC cell phenotypes and signaling pathways. RESULTS: POU4F1 and POU6F2 were upregulated in various cancer tissues, including ESCC, compared to normal tissues. POU4F1 expression was significantly correlated with patient survival and superior to previous models (AUC = 0.776). Knockdown of POU4F1 inhibited ESCC cell proliferation and affected cell cycle, autophagy, and DNA damage pathways in ESCC cells. CONCLUSION: POU4F1 is a novel and promising prognostic and therapeutic target for ESCC patients, providing insights into potential treatment strategies.
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Objective: Rhizosphere microorganisms play crucial roles in the growth and development of plants, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability. As the only wild pepper variety resource in China, domesticated Capsicum frutescens Linn. (Xiaomila) exhibits varying beneficial traits and affects rhizosphere microbial composition compared with its wild counterparts. In this study, we aimed to identify specific rhizosphere microbiome and metabolism patterns established during the domestication process. Methods: The rhizosphere microbial diversity and composition of domesticated and wild C. frutescens were detected and analyzed by metagenomics. Non-targeted metabolomics were used to explore the differences of metabolites in rhizosphere soil between wild and domesticated C. frutescens. Results: We found that the rhizosphere microbial diversity of domesticated variety was significantly different from that of the wild variety, with Massilia being its dominant bacteria. However, the abundance of certain beneficial microbes such as Gemmatimonas, Streptomyces, Rambibacter, and Lysobacter decreased significantly. The main metabolites identified in the wild variety included serylthreonine, deoxyloganic acid, vitamin C, among others. In contrast, those identified in the domesticated group were 4-hydroxy-l-glutamic acid and benzoic acid. Furthermore, the differentially enriched pathways were concentrated in tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, histidine and purine-derived alkaloids biosynthesis, benzoic acid family, two-component system, etc. Conclusion: This study revealed that C. frutescens established specific rhizosphere microbiota and metabolites during domestication, which has important significance for the efficient utilization of beneficial microorganisms in breeding and cultivation practices.