• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.340-347
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• 2022

Advanced or metastatic breast cancer affects multiple organs and is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Cancer metastasis is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal metastasis (EMT). However, the specific signals that induce and regulate EMT in carcinoma cells remain unclear. PRR16/Largen is a cell size regulator that is independent of mTOR and Hippo signalling pathways. However, little is known about the role PRR16 plays in the EMT process. We found that the expression of PRR16 was increased in mesenchymal breast cancer cell lines. PRR16 overexpression induced EMT in MCF7 breast cancer cells and enhances migration and invasion. To determine how PRR16 induces EMT, the binding proteins for PRR16 were screened, revealing that PRR16 binds to Abl interactor 2 (ABI2). We then investigated whether ABI2 is involved in EMT. Gene silencing of ABI2 induces EMT, leading to enhanced migration and invasion. ABI2 is a gene that codes for a protein that interacts with ABL proto-oncogene 1 (ABL1) kinase. Therefore, we investigated whether the change in ABI2 expression affected the activation of ABL1 kinase. The knockdown of ABI2 and PRR16 overexpression increased the phosphorylation of Y412 in ABL1 kinase. Our results suggest that PRR16 may be involved in EMT by binding to ABI2 and interfering with its inhibition of ABL1 kinase. This indicates that ABL1 kinase inhibitors may be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of PRR16-related breast cancer.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1632-1632
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• 2022

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.401-408
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• 2016

Periodontal disease is one of the major dental diseases. Currently, various methods are used for healing and successful regeneration of periodontal tissue damaged by periodontal disease. The periodontal ligament and alveolar bone have received considerable interest for use in periodontal tissue regeneration and induction. However, as the functions of the factors required for tooth attachment and key regulatory factors for periodontal tissue regeneration in the cementum have recently been identified, interest in cementum formation and regeneration has increased. Dental cementum forms in the late phase of tooth development because of the reciprocal regulatory interaction between cervical loop epithelial cells and surrounding mesenchymal cells, which is regulated by various gene signaling networks. Many attempts have been made to understand the regulatory factors and cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with new cementum formation. In this paper, we reviewed the study outcomes to date on the regulatory factors that induce cementum formation and regeneration, focusing on understanding the roles and functions of Wnt signaling in the regulation of cementum formation. In addition, we aimed to obtain information on the useful reciprocal regulatory factors that mediate cementum formation and regeneration through a series of molecular mechanisms.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.735-740
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• 2010

Renal fibrosis, characterized by tubulointerstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis, is the final manifestation of chronic kidney disease. Renal fibrosis is characterized by an excessive accumulation and deposition of extracellular matrix components. This pathologic result usually originates from both underlying complicated cellular activities such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, fibroblast activation, monocyte/macrophage infiltration, and cellular apoptosis and the activation of signaling molecules such as transforming growth factor beta and angiotensin II. However, because the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis is extremely complicated and our knowledge regarding this condition is still limited, further studies are needed.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ is a key cellular phosphoinositide that localizes in separate and distinctive pools in subcellular membrane and vesicular compartments. In membranes, Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ acts as a precursor to second messengers and is itself a main signaling and targeting molecule. Specific subcellular localization of type I PIP kinases directed by interacting with specific targeting module differentiates Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ production in a spatial and temporal manner. Several lines of evidences support the idea that Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ is generated in very specific pools in a spatial and temporal manner or by feeding Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ directly to effectors. In this concept, the interaction of PIPKI isoforms with a specific targeting module to allow precise subcellular targeting modulates highly specific Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ synthesis and channeling overall effectors. For instance, localization of PIPKI${\gamma}$661 to focal adhesions by an interaction with talin results in spatial and temporal production of Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$, which regulates EGF-stimulated directional cell migration. In addition, Type $I{\gamma}$ PIPK is targeted to E-cadherin in cell adherence junction and plays a role in controlling dynamics of cell adherence junction and endocytosis of E-cadherin. Characterizing how PIP kinase isoforms are regulated by interactions with their targeting modules, as well as the mechanisms by which their product, Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$, exerts its effects on cellular signaling processes, is crucial to understand the harmonized control of numerous cellular signaling pathways. Thus, in this review the roles of the Ptdlns(4)P(5) kinases and Ptdlns(4,5)$P_2$ were described and critically reviewed in terms of regulation of the E-cadherin trafficking, cell migration, and formation of cell adherence junction which is indispensable and is tightly controlled in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.321-332
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• 2019

The brain is the most common metastatic site of lung adenocarcinoma; however, the mechanism of this selective metastasis remains unclear. We aimed to verify the hypothesis that exposure of tumor cells to the brain microenvironment leads to changes in their gene expression, which promotes their oriented transfer to the brain. A549 and H1299 lung adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to human astrocyte-conditioned medium to simulate the brain microenvironment. Microarray analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes, which were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Knockdown experiments using microRNAs and the overexpression of genes by cell transfection were performed in addition to migration and invasion assays. In vitro findings were confirmed in clinical specimens using immunohistochemistry. We found and confirmed a significant increase in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) levels. Our results also showed that the up-regulation of IGFBP3 promoted A549 cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion, while the knockdown of IGFBP3 resulted in decreased cell motility. We also found that Transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$)/Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (Smad4)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition was likely IGFBP3-dependent in A549 cells. Finally, expression of IGFBP3 was significantly elevated in pulmonary cancer tissues and intracranial metastatic tissues. Our data indicate that up-regulation of IGFBP3 might mediate brain metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma, which makes it a potential therapeutic target.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7617-7623
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• 2014

Objective: The mechanism of action of fatty acid synthase (FASN) in drug tolerance of breast cancer cells with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) features was investigated. Methods: The breast cancer cell line MCF-7-MEK5 with stably occurring EMT and tumour necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) tolerance was used as the experimental model, whereas MCF-7 acted as the control. Tumour cells were implanted into nude mice for in vivo analysis, and cerulenin was used as a FASN inhibitor. RT-PCR, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were employed to detect the expression of FASN, TNFR-1, TNFR-2, Wnt-1, ${\beta}$-catenin and cytC at the RNA and protein levels. Results: Compared with MCF-7, TNFR-1 expression in MCF-7-MEK5 was slightly changed, TNFR-2 was decreased, and FASN, Wnt-1, ${\beta}$-catenin and cytC were increased. The expression of Wnt-1 and ${\beta}$-catenin in MCF-7-MEK5 decreased after cerulenin treatment, whereas cytC expression increased. Conclusions: The important function of FASN in the drug tolerance of breast cancer may be due to the following mechanisms: FASN downregulated TNFR-2 expression through lipid rafts to make the cells less sensitive to TNF-${\alpha}$, and simultaneously activated the Wnt-$1/{\beta}$-catenin signalling pathway. Thus, cytC expression increased, which provided cells with anti-apoptotic capacity and induced drug tolerance.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.188-193
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• 2018

The aim of the current study was to demonstrate the potential therapeutic efficacy of resveratrol in oral cancer patients. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) intensifies cancer cell invasion and metastasis, whereas resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound, possesses antitumor activity, suppressing cell proliferation and progression in various cancer cell lines (ovarian, gastric, oral, pancreatic, colon, and prostate cancer cells). In addition, resveratrol has been identified as an inhibitor of LPA-induced proteolytic enzyme expression and ovarian cancer invasion. Furthermore, resveratrol was shown to inhibit oral cancer cell invasion by downregulating hypoxia-inducible factor $1{\alpha}$ and vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Recently, we demonstrated that LPA is important for the expression of transcription factors TWIST and SLUG during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in oral squamous carcinoma cells. In this study, we treated serum-starved cultures of oral squamous carcinoma cell line YD-10B with resveratrol for 24 hours prior to stimulation with LPA. To identify an optimal resveratrol concentration that does not induce apoptosis in oral squamous carcinoma cells, we determined the toxicity of resveratrol in YD-10B cells by assessing their viability using the MTT assay. Another assay was performed using Matrigel-coated cell culture inserts to detect oral cancer cell invasion activity. Immunoblotting was applied for analyzing protein expression of SLUG, TWIST1, E-cadherin, and GAPDH. We demonstrated that resveratrol efficiently inhibited LPA-induced oral cancer cell EMT and invasion by downregulating SLUG and TWIST1 expression. Therefore, resveratrol may potentially reduce oral squamous carcinoma cell invasion and metastasis in oral cancer patients, improving their survival outcomes. In summary, we identified new targets for the development of therapies against oral cancer progression and characterized the therapeutic potential of resveratrol for the treatment of oral cancer patients.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.662-670
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• 2020

We have investigated the involvement of the pre-mRNA processing factor 4B (PRP4) kinase domain in mediating drug resistance. HCT116 cells were treated with curcumin, and apoptosis was assessed based on flow cytometry and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cells were then transfected with PRP4 or pre-mRNA-processing-splicing factor 8 (PRP8), and drug resistance was analyzed both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we deleted the kinase domain in PRP4 using Gateway™ technology. Curcumin induced cell death through the production of ROS and decreased the activation of survival signals, but PRP4 overexpression reversed the curcumin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. PRP8 failed to reverse the curcumin-induced apoptosis in the HCT116 colon cancer cell line. In xenograft mouse model experiments, curcumin effectively reduced tumour size whereas PRP4 conferred resistance to curcumin, which was evident from increasing tumour size, while PRP8 failed to regulate the curcumin action. PRP4 overexpression altered the morphology, rearranged the actin cytoskeleton, triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and decreased the invasiveness of HCT116 cells. The loss of E-cadherin, a hallmark of EMT, was observed in HCT116 cells overexpressing PRP4. Moreover, we observed that the EMT-inducing potential of PRP4 was aborted after the deletion of its kinase domain. Collectively, our investigations suggest that the PRP4 kinase domain is responsible for promoting drug resistance to curcumin by inducing EMT. Further evaluation of PRP4-induced inhibition of cell death and PRP4 kinase domain interactions with various other proteins might lead to the development of novel approaches for overcoming drug resistance in patients with colon cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.706-711
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• 2019

Cisplatin (Cis-DDP) is one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs. It is applicable to many types of cancer, including lung, bladder, and breast cancer. However, its use is now limited because of drug resistance. p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK) is one of the downstream effectors in the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway and high expression of p90RSK is observed in human breast cancer tissues. Therefore, we investigated the role of p90RSK in the Cis-DDP resistance-related signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer cells. First, we discovered that MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited more Cis-DDP resistance than other breast cancer cells, including MCF-7 and BT549 cells. Cis-DDP increased p90RSK activation, whereas the inactivation of p90RSK using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) or dominant-negative kinase mutant plasmid overexpression significantly reduced Cis-DDP-induced cell proliferation and migration via the inhibition of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)2 and MMP9 in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, p90RSK activation was involved in EMT via the upregulation of mRNA expression, including that of Snail, Twist, ZEB1, N-cadherin, and vimentin. We also investigated NF-κB, the upstream regulator of EMT markers, and discovered that Cis-DDP treatment led to NF-κB translocation in the nucleus as well as its promoter activity. Our results suggest that targeting p90RSK would be a good strategy to increase Cis-DDP sensitivity in triple-negative breast cancers.