Identification of RECQ1-regulated transcriptome uncovers a role of RECQ1 in regulation of cancer cell migration and invasion

The RECQ protein family of helicases has critical roles in protecting and stabilizing the genome. Three of the 5 known members of the human RecQ family are genetically linked with cancer susceptibility syndromes, but the association of the most abundant human RecQ homolog, RECQ1, with cellular transformation is yet unclear. RECQ1 is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, indicating oncogenic functions. Here, we assessed genome-wide changes in gene expression upon knockdown of RECQ1 in HeLa and MDA-MB-231 cells. Pathway analysis suggested that RECQ1 enhances the expression of multiple genes that play key roles in cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, including EZR, ITGA2, ITGA3, ITGB4, SMAD3, and TGFBR2. Consistent with these results, silencing RECQ1 significantly reduced cell migration and invasion. In comparison to genome-wide annotated promoter regions, the promoters of genes downregulated upon RECQ1 silencing were significantly enriched for a potential G4 DNA forming sequence motif. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated binding of RECQ1 to the G4 motifs in the promoters of select genes downregulated upon RECQ1 silencing. In breast cancer patients, the expression of a subset of RECQ1-activated genes positively correlated with RECQ1 expression. Moreover, high RECQ1 expression was associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Collectively, our findings identify a novel function of RECQ1 in gene regulation and indicate that RECQ1 contributes to tumor development and progression, in part, by regulating the expression of key genes that promote cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis.     

Genome-wide DNA methylation studies suggest distinct DNA methylation patterns in pediatric embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children. While cytogenetic abnormalities have been well characterized in this disease, aberrant epigenetic events such as DNA hypermethylation have not been described in genome-wide studies. We have analyzed the methylation status of 25,500 promoters in normal skeletal muscle, and in cell lines and tumor samples of embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma from pediatric patients. We identified over 1,900 CpG islands that are hypermethylated in rhabdomyosarcomas relative to skeletal muscle. Genes involved in tissue development, differentiation, and oncogenesis such as DNAJA4, HES5, IRX1, BMP8A, GATA4, GATA6, ALX3, and P4HTM were hypermethylated in both RMS cell lines and primary samples, implicating aberrant DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of rhabdomyosarcoma. Furthermore, cluster analysis revealed embryonal and alveolar subtypes had distinct DNA methylation patterns, with the alveolar subtype being enriched in DNA hypermethylation of polycomb target genes. These results suggest that DNA methylation signatures may aid in the diagnosis and risk stratification of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma and help identify new targets for therapy.     

非小细胞肺癌患者肠道微生物特征分析

[目的]分析非小细胞肺癌患者与肺部良性病变患者肠道微生物的构成差异,探究特异肠道菌群对非小细胞肺癌发生发展的影响.[方法]收集63例患者粪便样本,非小细胞肺癌患者39例,其中肺腺癌(ADC) 32例,肺鳞癌(SCC)7例,肺部良性病变患者24例,进行16S rDNA测序.[结果]毛螺菌属(Lachnospira)、瘤胃...     

Comparative genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of colorectal tumor and matched normal tissues

Aberrant DNA methylation often occurs in colorectal cancer (CRC). In our study we applied a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis approach, MethylCap-seq, to map the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in 24 tumors and matched normal colon samples. In total, 2687 frequently hypermethylated and 468 frequently hypomethylated regions were identified, which include potential biomarkers for CRC diagnosis. Hypermethylation in the tumor samples was enriched at CpG islands and gene promoters, while hypomethylation was distributed throughout the genome. Using epigenetic data from human embryonic stem cells, we show that frequently hypermethylated regions coincide with bivalent loci in human embryonic stem cells. DNA methylation is commonly thought to lead to gene silencing; however, integration of publically available gene expression data indicates that 75% of the frequently hypermethylated genes were most likely already lowly or not expressed in normal tissue. Collectively, our study provides genome-wide DNA methylation maps of CRC, comprehensive lists of DMRs, and gives insights into the role of aberrant DNA methylation in CRC formation.     

Comparative genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of colorectal tumor and matched normal tissues

Aberrant DNA methylation often occurs in colorectal cancer (CRC). In our study we applied a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis approach, MethylCap-seq, to map the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in 24 tumors and matched normal colon samples. In total, 2687 frequently hypermethylated and 468 frequently hypomethylated regions were identified, which include potential biomarkers for CRC diagnosis. Hypermethylation in the tumor samples was enriched at CpG islands and gene promoters, while hypomethylation was distributed throughout the genome. Using epigenetic data from human embryonic stem cells, we show that frequently hypermethylated regions coincide with bivalent loci in human embryonic stem cells. DNA methylation is commonly thought to lead to gene silencing; however, integration of publically available gene expression data indicates that 75% of the frequently hypermethylated genes were most likely already lowly or not expressed in normal tissue. Collectively, our study provides genome-wide DNA methylation maps of CRC, comprehensive lists of DMRs, and gives insights into the role of aberrant DNA methylation in CRC formation.     

Cell polarity and the mechanism of asymmetric cell division

During development one mechanism for generating different cell types is asymmetric cell division, by which a cell divides and contributes different factors to each of its daughter cells. Asymmetric cell division occurs through out the eukaryotic kingdom, from yeast to humans. Many asymmetric cell divisions occur in a defined orientation. This implies a cellular mechanism for sensing direction, which must ultimately lead to differences in gene expression between two daughter cells. In this review, we describe two classes of molecules: regulatory factors that are differentially expressed upon asymmetric cell division, and components of a signal transduction pathway that may define cell polarity. The lin-11 and mec-3 genes of C. elegans, the Isl-1 gene of mammals and the HO gene of yeast, encode regulatory factors that determine cell type of one daughter after asymmetric cell division. The CDC24 and CDC42 genes of yeast affect both bud positioning and orientation of mating projections, and thus may define a general cellular polarity. We speculate that molecules such as Cdc24 and Cdc42 may regulate expression of genes such as lin-11, mec-3, Isl-1 and HO upon asymmetric cell division.     

乙烯利对苦瓜幼苗内源激素代谢及相关调控基因表达的影响

以苦瓜常规品种“绿爵士”为试材,在日光温室内于幼苗3～4叶期叶面喷施乙烯利溶液,通过高效液相色谱串联质谱(HPLC-MS/MS)仪测定了相关内源激素的含量,并结合高通量测序技术对相关调控基因表达进行分析,探究外源乙烯利对苦瓜幼苗激素代谢的影响,获得苦瓜应对外源乙烯诱导的内源激素代谢靶点,初步明确相关调控基因的作用特点,为深入开展苦瓜类作物外源乙烯调控机制的研究奠定基础。结果表明：(1)在外源乙烯利作用下,苦瓜幼苗植株内源乙烯合成直接前体物质1-氨基环丙基-1-羧酸(ACC)含量和主要限速酶ACC合成酶(ACS)活性均表现为显著升高的趋势;内源生长素(IAA)和细胞分裂素(tZR)的含量同样显著升高,而其赤霉素(GA₃)的含量则显著降低。(2)经过Hi-seq测序,共获得1 234个差异表达基因(DEGs),功能富集分析显示有570个DEGs富集于118条代谢通路中。(3)对所有DEGs进行功能注释,鉴定了多个参与内源激素合成及信号转导的基因,包括乙烯代谢相关的ACS、ACO、HMT3、EIN3、ERFs基因,IAA代谢相关的ALDH、TAA1、UGT74B1、AU...