Filamin A increases aggressiveness of human neuroblastoma.

Background: The actin-binding protein filamin A (FLNA) regulates oncogenic signal transduction important for tumor growth, but the role of FLNA in the progression of neuroblastoma (NB) has not been explored. Methods: We analyzed FLNA mRNA expression in the R2 NB-database and FLNA protein expression in human NB tumors. We then silenced FLNA expression in human SKNBE2 and IMR32 NB cells by lentiviral vector encoding shRNA FLNA and assayed the cells for proliferation, migration, colony, spheroid formation, and apoptosis. SKNBE2 xenografts expressing or lacking FLNA in BALB/c nude mice were analyzed by both routine histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Results: We observed shorter patient survival with higher expression of FLNA mRNA than patients with lower FLNA mRNA expression, and high-risk NB tumors expressed higher FLNA levels. Overexpression of FLNA increased proliferation of SH-SY5 NB cells. NB cell lines transfected with siRNA FLNA proliferated and migrated less, expressed lower levels of phosphorylated AKT and ERK1/2, formed smaller colonies and spheroids, as well as increased apoptosis. After inoculation of SKNBE2 cells infected with lentivirus expressing shRNA FLNA, size of NB tumors and number of proliferating cells were decreased. Furthermore, we identified STAT3 as an interacting partner of FLNA. Silencing FLNA mRNA reduced levels of NF-κB, STAT3 and MYCN, and increased levels of p53 and cleaved caspase 3. Conclusion: Inhibition of FLNA impaired NB cell signaling and function and reduced NB tumor size in vivo, suggesting that drugs targeting either FLNA or its interaction with STAT3 may be useful in the treatment of NB.

NBAT1/CASC15-003/USP36 control MYCN expression and its downstream pathway genes in neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: MYCN has been an attractive therapeutic target in neuroblastoma considering the widespread amplification of the MYCN locus in neuroblastoma, and its established role in neuroblastoma development and progression. Thus, understanding neuroblastoma-specific control of MYCN expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level would lead to identification of novel MYCN-dependent oncogenic pathways and potential therapeutic strategies. METHODS: By performing loss- and gain-of-function experiments of the neuroblastoma hotspot locus 6p22.3 derived lncRNAs CASC15-003 and NBAT1, together with coimmunoprecipitation and immunoblotting of MYCN, we have shown that both lncRNAs post-translationally control the expression of MYCN through regulating a deubiquitinase enzyme USP36. USP36 oncogenic properties were investigated using cancer cell lines and in vivo models. RNA-seq analysis of loss-of-function experiments of CASC15-003/NBAT1/MYCN/USP36 and JQ1-treated neuroblastoma cells uncovered MYCN-dependent oncogenic pathways. RESULTS: We show that NBAT1/CASC15-003 control the stability of MYCN protein through their common interacting protein partner USP36. USP36 harbors oncogenic properties and its higher expression in neuroblastoma patients correlates with poor prognosis, and its downregulation significantly reduces tumor growth in neuroblastoma cell lines and xenograft models. Unbiased integration of RNA-seq data from CASC15-003, NBAT1, USP36, and MYCN knockdowns and neuroblastoma cells treated with MYCN inhibitor JQ1, identified genes that are jointly regulated by the NBAT1/CASC15-003/USP36/MYCN pathway. Functional experiments on one of the target genes, COL18A1, revealed its role in the NBAT1/CASC15-003-dependent cell adhesion feature in neuroblastoma cells. CONCLUSION: Our data show post-translational regulation of MYCN by NBAT1/CASC15-003/USP36, which represents a new regulatory layer in the complex multilayered gene regulatory network that controls MYCN expression.

Subcellular Distribution of p53 by the p53-Responsive lncRNA NBAT1 Determines Chemotherapeutic Response in Neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma has a low mutation rate for the p53 gene. Alternative ways of p53 inactivation have been proposed in neuroblastoma, such as abnormal cytoplasmic accumulation of wild-type p53. However, mechanisms leading to p53 inactivation via cytoplasmic accumulation are not well investigated. Here we show that the neuroblastoma risk-associated locus 6p22.3-derived tumor suppressor NBAT1 is a p53-responsive lncRNA that regulates p53 subcellular levels. Low expression of NBAT1 provided resistance to genotoxic drugs by promoting p53 accumulation in cytoplasm and loss from mitochondrial and nuclear compartments. Depletion of NBAT1 altered CRM1 function and contributed to the loss of p53-dependent nuclear gene expression during genotoxic drug treatment. CRM1 inhibition rescued p53-dependent nuclear functions and sensitized NBAT1-depleted cells to genotoxic drugs. Combined inhibition of CRM1 and MDM2 was even more effective in sensitizing aggressive neuroblastoma cells with p53 cytoplasmic accumulation. Thus, our mechanistic studies uncover an NBAT1-dependent CRM1/MDM2-based potential combination therapy for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows how a p53-responsive lncRNA mediates chemotherapeutic response by modulating nuclear p53 pathways and identifies a potential treatment strategy for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Analysis of copy number alterations reveals the lncRNA ALAL-1 as a regulator of lung cancer immune evasion.

Cancer is characterized by genomic instability leading to deletion or amplification of oncogenes or tumor suppressors. However, most of the altered regions are devoid of known cancer drivers. Here, we identify lncRNAs frequently lost or amplified in cancer. Among them, we found amplified lncRNA associated with lung cancer-1 (ALAL-1) as frequently amplified in lung adenocarcinomas. ALAL-1 is also overexpressed in additional tumor types, such as lung squamous carcinoma. The RNA product of ALAL-1 is able to promote the proliferation and tumorigenicity of lung cancer cells. ALAL-1 is a TNFα- and NF-κB-induced cytoplasmic lncRNA that specifically interacts with SART3, regulating the subcellular localization of the protein deubiquitinase USP4 and, in turn, its function in the cell. Interestingly, ALAL-1 expression inversely correlates with the immune infiltration of lung squamous tumors, while tumors with ALAL-1 amplification show lower infiltration of several types of immune cells. We have thus unveiled a pro-oncogenic lncRNA that mediates cancer immune evasion, pointing to a new target for immune potentiation.

Sense-Antisense lncRNA Pair Encoded by Locus 6p22.3 Determines Neuroblastoma Susceptibility via the USP36-CHD7-SOX9 Regulatory Axis.

Trait-associated loci often map to genomic regions encoding long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), but the role of these lncRNAs in disease etiology is largely unexplored. We show that a pair of sense/antisense lncRNA (6p22lncRNAs) encoded by CASC15 and NBAT1 located at the neuroblastoma (NB) risk-associated 6p22.3 locus are tumor suppressors and show reduced expression in high-risk NBs. Loss of functional synergy between 6p22lncRNAs results in an undifferentiated state that is maintained by a gene-regulatory network, including SOX9 located on 17q, a region frequently gained in NB. 6p22lncRNAs regulate SOX9 expression by controlling CHD7 stability via modulating the cellular localization of USP36, encoded by another 17q gene. This regulatory nexus between 6p22.3 and 17q regions may lead to potential NB treatment strategies.

Mega roles of microRNAs in regulation of skeletal muscle health and disease.

Skeletal muscle is a dynamic tissue with remarkable plasticity. Skeletal muscle growth and regeneration are highly organized processes thus it is not surprising that a high degree of complexity exists in the regulation of these processes. Recent discovery of non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) has prompted extensive research in understanding the roles of these molecules in skeletal muscle. Research so far shows that miRNAs play a very significant role at every aspect of muscle biology. Besides muscle growth, development, and regeneration miRNAs are also involved in the pathology of muscle diseases and metabolism. In this review, recent advancements in miRNA function during myogenesis, exercise, atrophy, aging, and dystrophy are discussed.

Myostatin induces DNA damage in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mice.

One of the features of uncontrolled type 1 diabetes is oxidative stress that induces DNA damage and cell death. Skeletal muscle atrophy is also considerable in type 1 diabetes, however, the signaling mechanisms that induce oxidative stress culminating in muscle atrophy are not fully known. Here, we show that in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic wild type mice, hypo-phosphorylation of Akt, resulted in activation of Foxa2 transcription factor in the muscle. Foxa2 transcriptionally up-regulated Myostatin, contributing to exaggerated oxidative stress leading to DNA damage via p63/REDD1 pathway in skeletal muscle of Streptozotocin-treated wild type mice. In Myostatin(-/-) mice however, Streptozotocin treatment did not reduce Akt phosphorylation despite reduced IRS-1 signaling. Moreover, Foxa2 levels remained unaltered in Myostatin(-/-) mice, while levels of p63/REDD1 were higher compared with wild type mice. Consistent with these results, relatively less DNA damage and muscle atrophy was observed in Myostatin(-/-) muscle in response to Streptozotocin treatment. Taken together, our results for the first time show the role of Foxa2 in Myostatin regulation in skeletal muscle in diabetic mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate the mechanism by which Myostatin contributes to DNA damage in skeletal muscle of the diabetic mice that would lead to myofiber degeneration.

Myostatin augments muscle-specific ring finger protein-1 expression through an NF-kB independent mechanism in SMAD3 null muscle.

Smad (Sma and Mad-related protein) 2/3 are downstream signaling molecules for TGF-ß and myostatin (Mstn). Recently, Mstn was shown to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skeletal muscle via canonical Smad3, nuclear factor-κB, and TNF-α pathway. However, mice lacking Smad3 display skeletal muscle atrophy due to increased Mstn levels. Hence, our aims were first to investigate whether Mstn induced muscle atrophy in Smad3(-/-) mice by increasing ROS and second to delineate Smad3-independent signaling mechanism for Mstn-induced ROS. Herein we show that Smad3(-/-) mice have increased ROS levels in skeletal muscle, and inactivation of Mstn in these mice partially ablates the oxidative stress. Furthermore, ROS induction by Mstn in Smad3(-/-) muscle was not via nuclear factor-κB (p65) signaling but due to activated p38, ERK MAPK signaling and enhanced IL-6 levels. Consequently, TNF-α, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, and xanthine oxidase levels were up-regulated, which led to an increase in ROS production in Smad3(-/-) skeletal muscle. The exaggerated ROS in the Smad3(-/-) muscle potentiated binding of C/EBP homology protein transcription factor to MuRF1 promoter, resulting in enhanced MuRF1 levels leading to muscle atrophy.

Argonaute identity defines the length of mature mammalian microRNAs.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 19- to 25-nt-long non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by base-pairing with target mRNAs and reducing their stability or translational efficiency. Mammalian miRNAs function in association with four closely related Argonaute proteins, AGO1-4. All four proteins contain the PAZ and the MID domains interacting with the miRNA 3' and 5' termini, respectively, as well as the PIWI domain comprising an mRNA 'slicing' activity in the case of AGO2 but not AGO1, AGO3 and AGO4. However, the slicing mode of the miRNA-programmed AGO2 is rarely realized in vivo and the four Argonautes are thought to play largely overlapping roles in the mammalian miRNA pathway. Here, we show that the average length of many miRNAs is diminished during nervous system development as a result of progressive shortening of the miRNA 3' ends. We link this modification with an increase in the fractional abundance of Ago2 in the adult brain and identify a specific structural motif within the PAZ domain that enables efficient trimming of miRNAs associated with this but not the other three Argonautes. Taken together, our data suggest that mammalian Argonautes may define the length and possibly biological activity of mature mammalian miRNAs in a developmentally controlled manner.