Kindlin-2 in myoepithelium controls luminal progenitor commitment to alveoli in mouse mammary gland.

Myoepithelium plays an important role in mammary gland development, but less is known about the molecular mechanism underlying how myoepithelium controls acinus differentiation during gestation. Herein, we found that loss of Kindlin-2 in myoepithelial cells impaired mammary morphogenesis, alveologenesis, and lactation. Using five genetically modified mouse lines combined with single-cell RNA sequencing, we found a Kindlin-2-Stat3-Dll1 signaling cascade in myoepithelial cells that inactivates Notch signaling in luminal cells and consequently drives luminal progenitor commitment to alveolar cells identity. Single-cell profiling revealed that Kindlin-2 loss significantly reduces the proportion of matured alveolar cells. Mechanistically, Kindlin-2 depletion in myoepithelial cells promotes Stat3 activation and upregulates Dll1, which activates the Notch pathway in luminal cells and inhibits luminal progenitor differentiation and maturation during gestation. Inhibition of Notch1 with tangeretin allowed luminal progenitors to regain commitment ability in the pregnant mice with Kindlin-2 depletion in myoepithelium. Taken together, we demonstrated that Kindlin-2 is essential to myoepithelium-controlled luminal progenitors to alveoli transition during gestation.

FRMD8 targets both CDK4 activation and RB degradation to suppress colon cancer growth.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and retinoblastoma protein (RB) are both important cell-cycle regulators that function in different scenarios. Here, we report that FERM domain-containing 8 (FRMD8) inhibits CDK4 activation and stabilizes RB, thereby causing cell-cycle arrest and inhibiting colorectal cancer (CRC) cell growth. FRMD8 interacts separately with CDK7 and CDK4, and it disrupts the interaction of CDK7 with CDK4, subsequently inhibiting CDK4 activation. FRMD8 competes with MDM2 to bind RB and attenuates MDM2-mediated RB degradation. Frmd8 deficiency in mice accelerates azoxymethane/dextran-sodium-sulfate-induced colorectal adenoma formation. The FRMD8 promoter is hypermethylated, and low expression of FRMD8 predicts poor prognosis in CRC patients. Further, we identify an LKCHE-containing FRMD8 peptide that blocks MDM2 binding to RB and stabilizes RB. Combined application of the CDK4 inhibitor and FRMD8 peptide leads to marked suppression of CRC cell growth. Therefore, using an LKCHE-containing peptide to interfere with the MDM2-RB interaction may have therapeutic value in CDK4/6 inhibitor-resistant patients.

The role of cholesterol metabolism in tumor therapy, from bench to bed.

Cholesterol and its metabolites have important biological functions. Cholesterol is able to maintain the physical properties of cell membrane, play an important role in cellular signaling, and cellular cholesterol levels reflect the dynamic balance between biosynthesis, uptake, efflux and esterification. Cholesterol metabolism participates in bile acid production and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Increasing evidence suggests a strict link between cholesterol homeostasis and tumors. Cholesterol metabolism in tumor cells is reprogrammed to differ significantly from normal cells, and disturbances of cholesterol balance also induce tumorigenesis and progression. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that controlling cholesterol metabolism suppresses tumor growth, suggesting that targeting cholesterol metabolism may provide new possibilities for tumor therapy. In this review, we summarized the metabolic pathways of cholesterol in normal and tumor cells and reviewed the pre-clinical and clinical progression of novel tumor therapeutic strategy with the drugs targeting different stages of cholesterol metabolism from bench to bedside.

The AMPK-HOXB9-KRAS axis regulates lung adenocarcinoma growth in response to cellular energy alterations.

HOXB9 is an important transcription factor associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, its degradation mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that HOXB9 is a substrate of AMP kinase alpha (AMPKα). AMPK mediates HOXB9 T133 phosphorylation and downregulates the level of HOXB9 in mice and LUAD cells. Mechanistically, phosphorylated HOXB9 promoted E3 ligase Praja2-mediated HOXB9 degradation. Blocking HOXB9 phosphorylation by depleting AMPKα1/2 or employing the HOXB9 T133A mutant promoted tumor cell growth in cell culture and mouse xenografts via upregulation of HOXB9 and KRAS that is herein identified as a target of HOXB9. Clinically, AMPK activation levels in LUAD samples were positively correlated with pHOXB9 levels; higher pHOXB9 levels were associated with better survival of patients with LUAD. We thus present a HOXB9 degradation mechanism and demonstrate an AMPK-HOXB9-KRAS axis linking glucose-level-regulated AMPK activation to HOXB9 stability and KRAS gene expression, ultimately controlling LUAD progression.

EZH2 Inhibitors Suppress Colorectal Cancer by Regulating Macrophage Polarization in the Tumor Microenvironment.

EZH2 inhibitors (EZH2i), a class of small-molecule inhibitors that target EZH2 to exert anti-tumor functions, have just been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in treatment of adults and adolescents with locally advanced or metastatic epithelioid sarcoma. The application of EZH2i in several solid tumors is still in different stages of clinical trials and needs to be further validated. As a key epigenetic regulator, besides its role in controlling the proliferation of tumor cells, EZH2 has been implicated in the regulation of various immune cells including macrophages. But there are still controversial research results at present. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor that highly expresses EZH2, which has the third highest incidence and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Studies have shown that the numbers of M2-type tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are highly associated with the progression and metastasis of CRC. In the current study, we aim to investigate how EZH2 modulates the polarization of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of CRC, and compare the role of two different EZH2 inhibitors, EPZ6438 and GSK126. We applied a 3D culture method to demonstrate that EZH2i did indeed suppress the proliferation of CRC cells in vitro. In vivo, we found that the percentage of CD206+ macrophages of the TME was decreased under the treatment of EPZ6438, but it increased upon GSK126 treatment. Besides, in the co-culture system of macrophages and CRC cells, EPZ6438 led to significant elevation of M1 markers and reduction of M2 markers. Furthermore, mechanistic studies validated by ChIP-qPCR demonstrated that EZH2i inhibit EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 levels on the promoters of STAT3, an essential transcription factor for M1 macrophage polarization. Therefore, our data suggested that EZH2i not only suppress CRC cell proliferation directly, but also regulate macrophage by skewing M2 into effector M1 macrophage to exert a tumor suppressive effect. Moreover, our study provided new insight for better understanding of the role of two kinds of EZH2i: EPZ6438 and GSK126, which may pave the way in treating CRC by targeting cancer cells and immune cells via this epigenetic approach in the future.

Oxidative stress-CBP axis modulates MOB1 acetylation and activates the Hippo signaling pathway.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are constantly produced in cells, an excess of which causes oxidative stress. ROS has been linked to regulation of the Hippo pathway; however, the underlying detailed mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report that MOB1, a substrate of MST1/2 and co-activator of LATS1/2 in the canonical Hippo pathway, interacts with and is acetylated at lysine 11 by acetyltransferase CBP and deacetylated by HDAC6. MOB1-K11 acetylation stabilizes itself by reducing its binding capacity with E3 ligase Praja2 and subsequent ubiquitination. MOB1-K11 acetylation increases its phosphorylation and activates LATS1. Importantly, upstream oxidative stress signals promote MOB1 acetylation by suppressing CBP degradation, independent of MST1/2 kinase activity and HDAC6 deacetylation effect, thereby linking oxidative stress to activation of the Hippo pathway. Functionally, the acetylation-deficient mutant MOB1-K11R promotes lung cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and accelerates tumor growth in vivo, compared to the wild-type MOB1. Clinically, acetylated MOB1 corresponds to better prediction of overall survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, as demonstrated, an oxidative stress-CBP regulatory axis controls MOB1-K11 acetylation and activates LATS1, thereby activating the Hippo pathway and suppressing YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation and tumor progression.

Kindlin-2 in Sertoli cells is essential for testis development and male fertility in mice.

Kindlin-2 is known to play important roles in the development of mesoderm-derived tissues including myocardium, smooth muscle, cartilage and blood vessels. However, nothing is known for the role of Kindlin-2 in mesoderm-derived reproductive organs. Here, we report that loss of Kindlin-2 in Sertoli cells caused severe testis hypoplasia, abnormal germ cell development and complete infertility in male mice. Functionally, loss of Kindlin-2 inhibits proliferation, increases apoptosis, impairs phagocytosis in Sertoli cells and destroyed the integration of blood-testis barrier structure in testes. Mechanistically, Kindlin-2 interacts with LATS1 and YAP, the key components of Hippo pathway. Kindlin-2 impedes LATS1 interaction with YAP, and depletion of Kindlin-2 enhances LATS1 interaction with YAP, increases YAP phosphorylation and decreases its nuclear translocation. For clinical relevance, lower Kindlin-2 expression and decreased nucleus localization of YAP was found in SCOS patients. Collectively, we demonstrated that Kindlin-2 in Sertoli cells is essential for sperm development and male reproduction.

Kindlin-2 deficiency induces fatal intestinal obstruction in mice.

Rationale: Smooth muscle-motility disorders are mainly characterized by impaired contractility and functional intestinal obstruction. Some of these cases are caused by genetic mutations of smooth muscle genes ACTA2, ACTG2, MYH11, MYLK and LMOD1. Still the etiology is complex and multifactorial and the underlying pathology is poorly understood. Integrin interaction protein Kindlin-2 is widely expressed in striated and smooth muscle cells (SMC). However, the function of Kindlin-2 in the smooth muscle remains elusive. Methods: We generated two mouse models using different cre promoter transgenic mice, Kindlin-2fl/fl SM22α-cre+ (cKO mice) and Kindlin-2fl/fl; MYH-cre+ (iKO mice). Embryos and adult tissues were prepared for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) apoptosis assay. We investigated ultrastructure changes of mouse smooth muscle using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and measured smooth muscle contractile force in mounting aortic and intestinal rings using the multiwire myograph system (DMT 620M). In addition, cell traction force microscopy (CTFM) was applied to observe the functional change of primary SMC after Kindlin-2 depletion by RNAi. Results: Depletion of Kindlin-2 encoding gene Fermt2 in embryonic smooth muscles leads to apoptosis, downregulates the key components of SMC, impairs smooth muscle development, and finally causes embryonic death at E14.5. Tamoxifen-induced Kindlin-2-specific knockout in adult mouse smooth muscle showed decreased blood pressure, intestinal hypoperistalsis, and eventually died of intestinal obstruction. Kindlin-2 depletion also leads to downregulated Myh11, α-SMA, and CNN, shortened myofilament, broken myofibrils, and impaired contractility of the smooth muscles in iKO mice. Mechanistically, loss of Kindlin-2 decreases Ca2+ influx in primary vascular smooth muscle cells (PVSMC) by downregulating the expression of calcium-binding protein S100A14 and STIM1. Conclusion: We demonstrated that Kindlin-2 is essential for maintaining the normal structure and function of smooth muscles. Loss of Kindlin-2 impairs smooth muscle formation during embryonic development by inducing apoptosis and jeopardizes the contraction of adult smooth muscle by blocking Ca2+ influx that leads to intestinal obstruction. Mice with Kindlin-2 depletion in adult smooth muscle could be a potent animal model of intestinal obstruction for disease research, drug treatment and prognosis.

Pulsatilla chinensis saponins cause liver injury through interfering ceramide/sphingomyelin balance that promotes lipid metabolism dysregulation and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: P. chinensis saponins (PRS) are pentacyclic triterpenoid bioactive constituents from Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel. In our previous study, PRS caused chronic liver injury (CLI) with the significant changes of lipid metabolites including sphingomyelin (SM) in serum after long-term administration. The SM in the hepatocytes membrane plays an indispensable role in maintaining cell membrane stability and regulating the extracellular and intracellular signal transduction. However, it is still unknown the pathway related to SM and the mechanism of CLI on hepatocyte. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the hepatotoxicity mechanism of PRS in vivo and in vitro, to reveal the action of mechanism of SM and the pathway related to liver injury. METHODS: SD rats were orally administered with PRS for 240 days and liver injury was evaluated by histological examinations. Metabolomics analysis was used to explore the liver metabolic pathway affected by PRS, and the expressions of related proteins were evaluated by western blots. To discover and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of metabolites changes induced by PRS at the cellular level, cellular morphology, MTT assays, western blots and cell membrane potential measurements were carried out using LO2 cells. Furthermore, the roles of SM and cholesterol (Chol) in hepatocyte injury were investigated individually in overload Chol and SM groups. Sphingolipid metabolic pathway related with ceramide/sphingomyelin (Cer/SM) balance was explored using cellular lipidomics and RT-PCR. RESULTS: PRS gradually damaged the rat's liver in a time-dependent manner. The analysis of liver metabolism profiles showed that lipids metabolites were changed, including sphingolipid, bile acid, linoleic acid and fatty acid. We found that PRS induced apoptosis by interfering with bile acid-mediated sphingolipid metabolic pathway and Cer/SM balance in CLI. In in vitro experiments, PRS led to the increase of LDH leakage, depolarized cell membrane potential and caused cell membrane toxicity. Furthermore, PRS inducedG0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest in LO2 cells, simultaneously activated cellular extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways. PRS acted on SM and interfered with Cer/SM balance, which promote lipid metabolism dysregulation and apoptosis. CONCLUSION: PRS acted on SM to interfere Cer/SM balance on LO2 cell. Both in vivo and in vitro, PRS induced Cer/SM imbalance which promoted lipid metabolism disorder and apoptosis. Apoptosis and lipids changes gradually damaged the rats liver, and ultimately developed into CLI.

Gut microbiome-derived lactate promotes to anxiety-like behaviors through GPR81 receptor-mediated lipid metabolism pathway.

Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic stress could perturb the composition of the gut microbiota and induce host anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. In particular, microorganism-derived products that can directly or indirectly signal to the nervous system. This study sought to investigate whether high levels of Lactobacillus and lactate in the gut of rats under chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) were the factors leading to anxiety behavior. We collected faeces and blood samples in a sterile laboratory bench to study the microbiome and plasma metabolome from adult male rats age and environment matched healthy individuals. We sequenced the V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene from faeces samples. UPLC-MS metabolomics were used to examine plasma samples. Search for potential biomarkers by combining the different data types. Finally, we found a regulated signaling pathway through the relative expression of protein and mRNA. Both lactate feeding and fecal microbiota transplantation caused behavioral abnormalities such as psychomotor malaise, impaired learning and memory in the recipient animals. These rats also showed inhibition of the adenylate cyclase (AC)-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway of lipolysis after activation of G protein-coupled receptor 81 (GPR81) by lactate in the liver, as well as increased tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, we showed that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) protein expression in hippocampus was reduced in chronic unpredictable stress compared to control group and its expression negatively correlates with symptom severity. Our study suggest that the gut microbiome-derived lactate promotes to anxiety-like behaviors through GPR81 receptor-mediated lipid metabolism pathway.

Acetylated HOXB9 at lysine 27 is of differential diagnostic value in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the ninth most common human malignancy and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death in China. AcK27-HOXB9 is a newly identified HOXB9 post-transcriptional modification that can predict the outcome in lung adenocarcinoma and colon cancer well. However, the role of AcK27-HOXB9 in PDAC is unclear. The present study aims to investigate the differential diagnostic role of patients with AcK27-HOXB9 PDAC. Tissue microarrays consisting of 162 pancreatic tumor tissue samples from patients with PDAC and paired normal subjects were used to examine HOXB9 and AcK27-HOXB9 levels and localizations by immunohistochemical analysis and Western blot assay, respectively. HOXB9 was upregulated (P < 0.0001), and AcK27-HOXB9 (P =0.0023) was downregulated in patients with PDAC. HOXB9 promoted (P = 0.0115), while AcK27-HOXB9 (P = 0.0279) inhibited PDAC progression. AcK27-HOXB9 predicted favorable outcome in patients with PDAC (P = 0.0412). AcK27-HOXB9 also suppressed PDAC cell migration in a cell migration assay. The results of this study showed that HOXB9 promoted and AcK27-HOXB9 suppressed PDAC progression. The determination of ratio between HOXB9 and AcK27-HOXB9 exhibited potential diagnostic value in patients with PDAC.

Kindlin-2 Inhibits the Hippo Signaling Pathway by Promoting Degradation of MOB1.

The Hippo signaling pathway plays a key role in development and cancer progression. However, molecules that intrinsically inhibit this pathway are less well known. Here, we report that the focal adhesion molecule Kindlin-2 inhibits Hippo signaling by interacting with and degrading MOB1 and promoting the interaction between MOB1 and the E3 ligase praja2. Kindlin-2 thus inhibits the phosphorylation of LATS1 and YAP and promotes YAP translocation into the nucleus, where it activates downstream Hippo target gene transcription. Kindlin-2 depletion activates Hippo/YAP signaling and alleviates renal fibrosis in Kindlin-2 knockout mice with unilateral ureteral occlusion (UUO). Moreover, Kindlin-2 levels are negatively correlated with MOB1 and phosphorylated (p) YAP in samples from patients with renal fibrosis. Altogether, these results demonstrate that Kindlin-2 inhibits Hippo signaling through degradation of MOB1. A specific long-lasting siRNA against Kindlin-2 effectively alleviated UUO-induced renal fibrosis and could be a potential therapy for renal fibrosis.

C1orf106, an innate immunity activator, is amplified in breast cancer and is required for basal-like/luminal progenitor fate decision.

Basal-like breast cancer with a luminal progenitor gene expression profile is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with a poorer prognosis compared with other subtypes. However, genes that specifically promote basal-like breast cancer development remain largely unknown. Here, we report that a novel gene C1orf106 plays an important role in maintaining the feature of basal-like/luminal progenitors. C1orf106 is frequently amplified and overexpressed in basal-like breast cancer and is associated with a poor outcome in patients. In human TCGA database, C1orf106 expression was correlated with upregulation of ELF5 and downregulation of GATA3, two transcription factors that regulate mammary gland stem cell fate. Enhanced expression of C1orf106 promotes tumor progression and expression of basal-like/luminal progenitor marker ELF5; depletion of C1orf106 suppresses tumorigenesis and expression of basal-like/luminal progenitor marker GATA3. These findings suggest that C1orf106 maintains the basal-like/luminal progenitor character through balancing the expression of ELF5 and GATA3. Taken together, we demonstrated that C1orf106 is an important regulator for basal-like/luminal progenitors and targeting C1orf106 is of therapeutic value for breast cancer.

HOXB13 networking with ABCG1/EZH2/Slug mediates metastasis and confers resistance to cisplatin in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Rationale: Distant metastasis and chemoresistance are the major causes of short survival after initial chemotherapy in lung adenocarcinoma patients. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Our pilot study identified high expression of the homeodomain transcription factor HOXB13 in chemoresistant lung adenocarcinomas. We aimed to investigate the role of HOXB13 in mediating lung adenocarcinoma chemoresistance. Methods: Immunohistochemistry assays were employed to assess HOXB13 protein levels in 148 non-small cell lung cancer patients. The role of HOXB13 in lung adenocarcinoma progression and resistance to cisplatin therapy was analyzed in cells, xenografted mice, and patient-derived xenografts. Needle biopsies from 15 lung adenocarcinoma patients who were resistant to cisplatin and paclitaxel therapies were analyzed for HOXB13 and EZH2 protein levels using immunohistochemistry. Results: High expression of HOXB13 observed in 17.8% of the lung adenocarcinoma patients in this study promoted cancer progression and predicted poor prognosis. HOXB13 upregulated an array of metastasis- and drug-resistance-related genes, including ABCG1, EZH2, and Slug, by directly binding to their promoters. Cisplatin induced HOXB13 expression in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and patient-derived xenografts and depletion of ABCG1 enhanced the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin therapy. Our results suggest that determining the combined expression of HOXB13 and its target genes can predict patient outcomes. Conclusions: A cisplatin-HOXB13-ABCG1/EZH2/Slug network may account for a novel mechanism underlying cisplatin resistance and metastasis after chemotherapy. Determining the levels of HOXB13 and its target genes from needle biopsy specimens may help predict the sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma patients to platinum-based chemotherapy and patient outcomes.

Integrin-interacting protein Kindlin-2 induces mammary tumors in transgenic mice.

Kindlin-2, an integrin-interacting protein, regulates breast cancer progression. However, currently, no animal model to study the role of Kindlin-2 in the carcinogenesis of mammary gland is available. We established a Kindlin-2 transgenic mouse model using a mammary gland-specific promoter, mammary tumor virus (MMTV) long terminal repeat (LTR). Kindlin-2 was overexpressed in the epithelial cells of the transgenic mice. The mammary gland ductal trees were found to grow faster in MMTV-Kindlin-2 transgenic mice than in control mice during puberty. Kindlin-2 promoted mammary gland growth as indicated by more numerous duct branches and larger lumens, and more alveoli were formed in the mammary glands during pregnancy under Kindlin-2 overexpression. Importantly, mammary gland-specific expression of Kindlin-2 induced tumor formation at the age of 55 weeks on average. Additionally, the levels of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor were decreased, whereas human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and ß-catenin were upregulated in the Kindlin-2-induced mammary tumors. These findings demonstrated that Kindlin-2 induces mammary tumor formation via activation of the Wnt signaling pathway.

HOXB9 acetylation at K27 is responsible for its suppression of colon cancer progression.

We previously reported that HOXB9 is overexpressed in colon cancer and predicts a favourable patient outcome, which is opposite to the tumour-promoting role of HOXB9 in other cancers. We hypothesized that HOXB9 acetylation may account for its inhibitory role in colon cancer. We aim to examine the role of acetylated HOXB9 in colon cancer cells and patients. The AcK27-HOXB9 levels in colon cancer cells and patients were analysed by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry separately. Correlation between AcK27-HOXB9 expression and patient survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. HOXB9 target gene EZH2 was determined by luciferase assay in HOXB9-transfected colon cancer cells. Nucleocytoplasmic translocation of HOXB9 was detected by subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence. The AcK27-HOXB9 level was decreased in colon cancer patients and predicted better outcome. HOXB9 upregulated oncogenic EZH2 expression, whereas AcK27-HOXB9 suppressed it by translocating HOXB9 from nuclei into cytoplasm. We demonstrated that AcK27-HOXB9 inhibits while non-acetylated HOXB9 promotes EZH2 expression and colon cancer progression. Thus, AcK27-HOXB9 underlies the tumour suppressive role of HOXB9. Detection of the ratio between AcK27-HOXB9 and HOXB9 is of differential diagnostic value for colon cancer patients.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG15 interacts with and stabilizes transcription factor Slug and promotes colon cancer progression.

Slug is a fast-turnover transcription factor critical for controlling cell fate and cancer cell invasion and metastasis. The stability of Slug is important and maintained by diverse mechanisms. In this study, we presented a paradigm of this activity by identifying long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 15 (SNHG15) that binds to and stabilizes Slug in colon cancer cells. LncRNA SNHG15 transcription is upregulated in a variety of human cancers according to The Cancer Genome Atlas. Here, ectopic expression of SNHG15 promoted colon cancer cell migration in vitro, accelerated xenografted tumor growth in vivo, and elevated levels of SNHG15 were associated with poor prognosis for colon cancer patients. Mechanistically, SNHG15 maintains Slug stability in living cells by impeding its ubiquitination and degradation through interaction with the zinc finger domain of Slug. These findings revealed a novel mechanism underlying the control of Slug stability by demonstrating that oncogenic lncRNA SNHG15 interacts with and blocks Slug degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Differential expression of Kindlin-1 and Kindlin-2 correlates with esophageal cancer progression and epidemiology.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in China, but the etiology and risk factors remain unclear. The integrin-interacting proteins Kindlin-1 and Kindlin-2 are focal adhesion molecules that activate transmembrane receptor integrins and regulate tumor cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. Here, we report that Kindlin-1 and Kindlin-2 are differentially expressed among Chinese EC patients. For this, Kindlin-1 and Kindlin-2 expression was evaluated in 220 EC patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and found to be correlated with the EC progression, along with a variety of epidemiologic parameters, including smoking, family EC history, and EC invasion status. Moreover, data downloaded from the Oncomine database revealed that both Kindlin-1 and Kindlin-2 were upregulated in ECs compared with normal esophageal tissues; although Kindlin-1 was highly expressed in well-differentiated tumors, whereas Kindlin-2 was more prevalent in poorly differentiated tumors. Collectively, these data suggest that Kindlin-1 may inhibit, while Kindlin-2 may promote, EC progression. This study, for the first time, linked the expression of Kindlin-1 and Kindlin-2 with EC family genetic background and living habits, which may help further our understanding of the various causes of EC.

Kindlin-2 induced by TGF-ß signaling promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression through downregulation of transcriptional factor HOXB9.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths with no effective therapeutics. Invasion and metastasis are the major characteristics of PDAC. However, mechanisms underlying PDAC invasion and metastasis are elusive. In this report, we found that Kindlin-2 is a target protein of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signaling and is upregulated by TGF-ß1 in PDAC cells. TGF-ß1-upregulated Kindlin-2 promotes PDAC cell growth, migration and invasion, whereas Kindlin-2 upregulates transforming growth factor receptor I (TßRI), a key component of TGF-ß signaling. Thereby Kindlin-2 and TGF-ß signaling constitute a positive feedback loop. Mechanistically, Kindlin-2 promotes PDAC progression by downregulation of HOXB9 and E-cadherin. For clinical relevance, enhanced expression of Kindlin-2 predicts a poor overall survival for PDAC patients. Gene expression levels of Kindlin-2, TGF-ß, TßRI and HOXB9 are all correlated with the overall survival of PDAC patients in an Oncomine dataset. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that TGF-ß1-induced Kindlin-2 expression promotes PDAC progression by downregulation of HOXB9 and E-cadherin.