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Cardiac cellular fate transition holds remarkable promise for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. We report that overexpressing two transcription factors, Sall4 and Gata4, which play distinct and overlapping roles in both pluripotent stem cell reprogramming and embryonic heart development, induces a fraction of stem-like cells in rodent cardiac fibroblasts that exhibit unlimited ex vivo expandability with clonogenicity. Transcriptomic and phenotypic analyses reveal that around 32 ± 6.4% of the expanding cells express Nkx2.5, while 13 ± 3.6% express Oct4. Activated signaling pathways like PI3K/Akt, Hippo, Wnt, and multiple epigenetic modification enzymes are also detected. Under suitable conditions, these cells demonstrate a high susceptibility to differentiating into cardiomyocyte, endothelial cell, and extracardiac neuron-like cells. The presence of partially pluripotent-like cells is characterized by alkaline phosphatase staining, germ layer marker expression, and tumor formation in injected mice (n = 5). Additionally, significant stem-like fate transitions and cardiogenic abilities are induced in human cardiac fibroblasts, but not in rat or human skin fibroblasts. Molecularly, we identify that SALL4 and GATA4 physically interact and synergistically stimulate the promoters of pluripotency genes but repress fibrogenic gene, which correlates with a primitive transition process. Together, this study uncovers a new cardiac regenerative mechanism that could potentially advance therapeutic endeavors and tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia. The disease is progressive and irreversible in nature, leading to reduced neurogenesis, neuronal loss, and cognitive decline. Mounting evidence suggests the crucial role of transcription factors in the regulation of the initiation and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog are such pivotal transcription factors that are critically involved in neurogenesis, AD pathology, and aging. It is critical to detect early pathological alterations; therefore, the use of peripheral tissues like skin fibroblasts are recommended for investigative purposes. Our study demonstrated that fibroblasts from Alzheimer's patients and aged candidates present alterations in the expression of these transcription factors. Strategies to enhance Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog expression levels may be used as a novel intervention for reducing amyloid beta neurotoxicity in the AD brain, preventing senescence and delaying aging. Henceforth, we explored the effect of melatonin administration on these factors. Melatonin enhanced the expression of these transcription factors in the Alzheimer's and aged group, suggesting a prompt therapeutic strategy against neurodegenerative processes and aging along with boosting the regenerative capacity of cells. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Altered neurogenesis and the appearance of AD pathological hallmarks are fundamental to this disease. SRY-Box transcription factor 2 (Sox2), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), and Nanog are a set of core transcription factors that play a very decisive role in the preservation of pluripotency and the self-renewal capacity of embryonic and adult stem cells. These factors are critically involved in AD pathogenesis, senescence, and aging. Skin fibroblasts are emblematic of cellular damage in patients. We, therefore, in the present study, analyzed the basal expression of these factors in young, aged, and AD fibroblasts. AD fibroblasts displayed an altered expression of these factors, differing from aged and young fibroblasts. Since melatonin is well acknowledged for its anti-aging, anti-senescence and anti-AD therapeutic benefits, we further investigated the effects of melatonin treatment on the expression of these factors in fibroblasts, along with precise validation of the observed data in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings reveal that melatonin administration augmented the expression levels of Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog significantly in both cells. Altogether, our study presents the neuroprotective potential and efficacy of melatonin, which might have significant therapeutic benefits for aging and AD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can regenerate after optic nerve lesions (ONLs). We previously reported that heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and Yamanaka factors increased in the zebrafish retina 0.5–24 h after ONLs, and they led to cell survival and the transformation of neuro-stem cells. We also showed that retinoic acid (RA) signaling and transglutaminase 2 (TG2) were activated in the fish retina, performing neurite outgrowth 5–30 days after ONLs. In this study, we found that RA signaling and TG2 increased within 0.5 h in the zebrafish retina after ONLs. We examined their interaction with the TG2-specific morpholino and inhibitor due to the significantly close initiation time of TG2 and HSF1. The inhibition of TG2 led to the complete suppression of HSF1 expression. Furthermore, the results of a ChIP assay with an anti-TG2 antibody evidenced significant anti-TG2 immunoprecipitation of HSF1 genome DNA after ONLs. The inhibition of TG2 also suppressed Yamanaka factors' gene expression. This rapid increase in TG2 expression occurred 30 min after the ONLs, and RA signaling occurred 15 min before this change. The present study demonstrates that TG2 regulates Yamanaka factors via HSF1 signals in the acute phase of fish optic nerve regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cardiac cellular fate transition holds remarkable promise for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. We report that overexpressing two transcription factors, Sall4 and Gata4, which play distinct and overlapping roles in both pluripotent stem cell reprogramming and embryonic heart development, induces a fraction of stem-like cells in rodent cardiac fibroblasts that exhibit unlimited ex vivo expandability with clonogenicity. Transcriptomic and phenotypic analyses reveal that around 32 ± 6.4% of the expanding cells express Nkx2.5, while 13 ± 3.6% express Oct4. Activated signaling pathways like PI3K/Akt, Hippo, Wnt, and multiple epigenetic modification enzymes are also detected. Under suitable conditions, these cells demonstrate a high susceptibility to differentiating into cardiomyocyte, endothelial cell, and extracardiac neuron-like cells. The presence of partially pluripotent-like cells is characterized by alkaline phosphatase staining, germ layer marker expression, and tumor formation in injected mice (n = 5). Additionally, significant stem-like fate transitions and cardiogenic abilities are induced in human cardiac fibroblasts, but not in rat or human skin fibroblasts. Molecularly, we identify that SALL4 and GATA4 physically interact and synergistically stimulate the promoters of pluripotency genes but repress fibrogenic gene, which correlates with a primitive transition process. Together, this study uncovers a new cardiac regenerative mechanism that could potentially advance therapeutic endeavors and tissue engineering.

This study was conducted to investigate whether lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) could improve the development of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. Porcine SCNT-derived embryos were cultured in chemically defined polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based porcine zygote medium (PZM)-4 without or with LPA, and the development, cell proliferation potential, apoptosis, and expression levels of pluripotent markers were evaluated. LPA significantly increased the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation compared to those seen in the LPA un-treatment (control) group. The expression levels of embryonic development-related genes (IGF2R, PCNA and CDH1) were higher (p < 0.05) in the LPA treatment group than in the control group. LPA significantly increased the numbers of total, inner cell mass and EdU (5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine)-positive cells in porcine SCNT blastocysts compared to those seen in the control group. TUNEL assay showed that LPA significantly reduced the apoptosis rate in porcine SCNT-derived embryos; this was confirmed by decreases (p < 0.05) in the expression levels of pro-apoptotic genes, BAX and CASP3, and an increase (p < 0.05) in the expression level of the anti-apoptotic gene, BCL2L1. In addition, LPA significantly increased Oct4 expression at the gene and protein levels. Together, our data suggest that LPA improves the quality and development of porcine SCNT-derived embryos by reducing apoptosis and enhancing cell proliferation and pluripotency.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are nucleotide sequences that participate in different biological processes and are associated with different pathologies, including cancer. Long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 662 (LINC00662) has been reported to be involved in different cancers, including colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer. However, its role in gallbladder cancer has not yet been described. In this article, we hypothesize that LINC00662 has an important role in the acquisition of aggressiveness traits such as a stem-like phenotype, invasion, and chemoresistance in gallbladder cancer. Here, we show that LINC00662 is associated with larger tumor size and lymph node metastasis in patients with gallbladder cancer. Furthermore, we show that the overexpression of LINC00662 promotes an increase in CD133+/CD44+ cell populations and the expression of stemness-associated genes. LINC00662 promotes greater invasive capacity and the expression of genes associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition. In addition, the expression of LINC00662 promotes resistance to cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, associated with increased expression of chemoresistance-related ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in gallbladder cancer (GBC) cell lines. Finally, we show that the mechanism by which LINC00662 exerts its function is through a decrease in microRNA 335-5p (miR-335-5p) and an increase in octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) in GBC cells. Thus, our data allow us to propose LINC00662 as a biomarker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target for patients with GBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special AT-rich sequence binding protein-2 (SATB2) is a nuclear matrix protein that binds to nuclear attachment regions and is involved in chromatin remodeling and transcription regulation. In stem cells, it regulates the expression of genes required for maintaining pluripotency and self-renewal and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this study, we examined the oncogenic role of SATB2 in prostate cancer and assessed whether overexpression of SATB2 in human normal prostate epithelial cells (PrECs) induces properties of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The results demonstrate that SATB2 is highly expressed in prostate cancer cell lines and CSCs, but not in PrECs. Overexpression of SATB2 in PrECs induces cellular transformation which was evident by the formation of colonies in soft agar and spheroids in suspension. Overexpression of SATB2 in PrECs also resulted in induction of stem cell markers (CD44 and CD133), pluripotency-maintaining transcription factors (cMYC, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and NANOG), CADHERIN switch, and EMT-related transcription factors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that SATB2 can directly bind to promoters of BCL-2, BSP, NANOG, MYC, XIAP, KLF4, and HOXA2, suggesting SATB2 is capable of directly regulating pluripotency/self-renewal, cell survival, and proliferation. Since prostate CSCs play a crucial role in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, we also examined the effects of SATB2 knockdown on stemness. SATB2 knockdown in prostate CSCs inhibited spheroid formation, cell viability, colony formation, cell motility, migration, and invasion compared to their scrambled control groups. SATB2 knockdown in CSCs also upregulated the expression of E-CADHERIN and inhibited the expression of N-CADHERIN, SNAIL, SLUG, and ZEB1. The expression of SATB2 was significantly higher in prostate adenocarcinoma compared to normal tissues. Overall, our data suggest that SATB2 acts as an oncogenic factor where it is capable of inducing malignant changes in PrECs by inducing CSC characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer stem cell biomarkers SRY (sex‐determining region Y)‐box 2 (SOX2) and octamer‐binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) account for radioresistance in cervical squamous cell cancers (CSCCs). Their clinical implications are limited and contradictory. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we recruited patients with FIGO IB2‐IVA CSCC treated with primary chemoradiotherapy on regular follow‐up. Tissue biopsy specimens were evaluated for SOX2 and Oct4 expression by immunohistochemistry, quantified by a product of proportion and intensity scores. Results: A total of 59 patients were included. Most had a moderately differentiated (81%), keratinizing (59%) CSCC, and ≥FIGO stage IIB disease (95%). SOX2 expression (high:low 21:38 patients) and Oct4 expression (high:low 4:55 patients) had a significant interrelation (p = 0.005, odds ratio (95% CI) − 1.23 (1.004–1.520)). At a median follow‐up of 36 months, the 3‐year overall survival (OS) was 60% and 53% for low and high SOX2 expression (p = 0.856), and 54% and 100% for low and high Oct4 expression (p = 0.114). The 3‐year disease‐frese survival (DFS) was 65% and 50% in the low and high SOX2 expression (p = 0.259), and 59% and 75% for low and high Oct4 expression (p = 0.598). SOX2 expression was the only variable significantly associated with a lower OS and DFS on regression analysis. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a trend toward improved OS and DFS with low SOX2 and high Oct4 expression in CSCC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Lung adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality despite recent therapeutic advances. Cancer stem cells have gained increasing attention due to their ability to induce cancer cell proliferation through self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell lineages. OCT4 and LIN28 (and their homologs A and B) have been identified as key regulators of pluripotency in mammalian embryonic (ES) and induced stem (IS) cells, and they are the crucial regulators of cancer progression. However, their exact role in lung adenocarcinoma has not yet been clarified. Materials and Methods: The aim of this study was to explore the role of the pluripotency factors OCT4 and LIN28 in a cohort of surgically resected human lung adenocarcinomas to reveal possible biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma prognosis and potential therapeutic targets. The expressions of OCT4, LIN28A and LIN28B were analyzed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 96 patients with lung adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry. The results were analyzed with clinicopathologic parameters and were related to the prognosis of patients. Results: Higher OCT4 expression was related to an improved 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (p < 0.001). Nuclear LIN28B expression was lower in stage I and II tumors (p < 0.05) compared to advanced stage tumors. LIN28B cytoplasmic expression was associated with 5-year OS rates not only in univariate (p < 0.005), but also in multivariate analysis (where age, gender, histopathological subtype and stage were used as cofactors, p < 0.01 HR = 2.592). Patients with lower LIN28B expression showed improved 5-year OS rates compared to patients with increased LIN28B expression. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that OCT4 and LIN28B are implicated in lung adenocarcinoma progression and prognosis outcome; thus, they serve as promising prognostic biomarkers and putative therapeutic targets in lung adenocarcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undifferentiated spermatogonia are composed of a heterogeneous cell population including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of various spermatogonial cohorts during their self-renewal and differentiation are largely unclear. Here we show that AKT1S1, an AKT substrate and inhibitor of mTORC1, regulates the homeostasis of undifferentiated spermatogonia. Although deletion of Akt1s1 in mouse appears not grossly affecting steady-state spermatogenesis and male mice are fertile, the subset of differentiation-primed OCT4+ spermatogonia decreased significantly, whereas self-renewing GFRα1+ and proliferating PLZF+ spermatogonia were sustained. Both neonatal prospermatogonia and the first wave spermatogenesis were greatly reduced in Akt1s1 −/− mice. Further analyses suggest that OCT4+ spermatogonia in Akt1s1 −/− mice possess altered PI3K/AKT-mTORC1 signaling, gene expression and carbohydrate metabolism, leading to their functionally compromised developmental potential. Collectively, these results revealed an important role of AKT1S1 in mediating the stage-specific signals that regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonia during mouse spermatogenesis. [Display omitted] • Akt1s1 deletion decreased pro-spermatogonia and the first wave mouse spermatogenesis. • Akt1s1 deletion reduced OCT4+ differentiation-primed spermatogonia in mouse. • Akt1s1 deletion altered mTORC1 signaling and transcriptome of OCT4+ spermatogonia. • AKT1S1-mediated PI3K/AKT-mTORC1 switch regulates spermatogonia cell fate transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The environmental oxygen tension has been reported to impact the blastocyst quality and cell numbers in the inner cell mass (ICM) during human and murine embryogenesis. While the molecular mechanisms leading to increased ICM cell numbers and pluripotency gene expression under hypoxia have been deciphered, it remains unknown which regulatory pathways caused the underweight fetal body and overweight placenta after maternal exposure to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Results: The blastocysts from the HBO‐exposed pregnant mice revealed significantly increased signals of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear Nrf2 staining, decreased Nf2 and Oct4 expression, increased nuclear Tp53bp1 and active caspase‐3 staining, and ectopic nuclear signals of Cdx2, Yap, and the Notch1 intracellular domain (N1ICD) in the ICM. In the ICM of the HBO‐exposed blastocysts, both Nf2 cDNA microinjection and Nrf2 shRNA microinjection significantly decreased the ectopic nuclear expression of Cdx2, Tp53bp1, and Yap whereas increased Oct4 expression, while Nrf2 shRNA microinjection also significantly decreased Notch1 mRNA levels and nuclear expression of N1ICD and active caspase‐3. Conclusion: We show for the first time that maternal exposure to HBO at the preimplantation stage induces apoptosis and impairs ICM cell specification via upregulating Nrf2‐Notch1‐Cdx2 expression and downregulating Nf2‐Oct4 expression. Key Findings: Compared to the blastocysts derived from normoxia‐exposed female mice, the blastocysts from hyperbaric oxygen (HBO)‐exposed mothers exhibited significantly increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear Nrf2 staining, along with significantly decreased membranous Nf2 staining throughout the entire embryo in immunofluorescence analyses. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in Oct4 expression, increased nuclear staining of Tp53bp1 and active caspase‐3, and ectopic expression of Cdx2, Yap, and the Notch1 intracellular domain (N1ICD) specifically within the inner cell mass (ICM).Both microinjections of Nf2 overexpressor cDNA and Nrf2 shRNA into the pronuclear zygotes followed by oviduct transfer before daily HBO exposures significantly decreased the nuclear expression of Cdx2, Tp53bp1 and Yap whereas increased Oct4 expression in the ICM of the HBO‐exposed blastocysts.Microinjection of Nrf2 shRNA into the pronuclear zygotes before daily HBO exposures significantly decreased Notch1 mRNA levels and nuclear expression of ectopic N1ICD and active caspase‐3 in the ICM of the HBO‐exposed blastocysts.Microinjection of Nf2 overexpressor cDNA into the pronuclear zygotes before HBO exposure did not affect the levels of cell apoptosis, Notch1 mRNA and ectopic N1ICD expression in the ICM of the HBO‐exposed blastocysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objective Salivary Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC) is a heterogeneous malignancy, whose molecular characteristics extend beyond CRTC1/3:MAML2 fusion. This study describes the immunohistochemical expression of CD133, CD44, OCT4, and Mammalian ENA (MENA) in Salivary MEC and their potential relevance to molecular profiling.Methods This study tested forty cases of MAML2-rearranged MEC using Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the expression of CD133, CD44, OCT4, and MENA. Specific antibodies for each marker were utilized (CD133, CD44, OCT4, and MENA). The POU5F1 FISH probe from Empire Genomics (USA) was also employed to detect any alteration corresponding to OCT4. The selection of these adult stem markers as targets in our study is based on their established associations with cancer stem cells and the possible roles in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and treatment resistance in some carcinomas and adenocarcinomas.Results The investigation demonstrated a negative expression pattern for CD133, CD44, and OCT4 immunostains in all cases, questioning the involvement in the pathogenesis of salivary MEC. In contrast, MENA showed a diffuse positive expression in all cases. Furthermore, the POU5F1 FISH probe revealed no alterations in the forty samples analyzed.Conclusion These findings suggested the noninvolvement of cancer stem cells in the pathogenesis of salivary MEC. The overexpression of MENA suggests its co-expression that may extend beyond stemness or pluripotency.

Background: Cervical cancer is a common malignant tumor in the female. Interleukin (IL)-17A is a proinflammatory factor and exerts a vital function in inflammatory diseases and cancers. M2 macrophage has been confirmed to promote tumor development. Nevertheless, it is not yet known whether IL-17A facilitates cervical cancer development by inducing M2 macrophage polarization. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the regulatory effect of IL-17A on M2 macrophage polarization and the underlying mechanism in cervical cancer development. Methods: RT-qPCR was utilized for testing IL-17A expression in cancer tissues and cells. Flow cytometry was applied to evaluate the M1 or M2 macrophage polarization. Cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities were measured through colony formation and transwell assays. ChIP and luciferase reporter assays were applied to determine the interaction between IL-17A and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4). Results: IL-17A expression and concentration were high in metastatic tissues and cells of cervical cancer. IL-17A was found to facilitate M2 macrophage polarization in cervical cancer. Furthermore, IL-17A facilitated the macrophage-mediated promotion of cervical cancer cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities. Mechanistic assays manifested that Oct4 binds to and transcriptionally activated IL-17A in cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, Oct4 promoted cervical cancer cell malignant phenotype and M2 macrophage polarization by activating the p38 pathway that, in turn, upregulated IL-17A. Additionally, in vivo experiments confirmed that Oct4 knockdown reduced tumor growth and metastasis. Conclusion: Oct4 triggers IL-17A to facilitate the polarization of M2 macrophages, which promotes cervical cancer cell metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity and mortality. Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) serves as a reader of RNA m6A (N6 methyladenosine) modification to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Emerging evidence suggests that IGF2BP2 plays critical roles in tumorigenesis and malignant development. However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of IGF2BP2 in ESCC are not well understood. Here, we found that IGF2BP2 expression was upregulated in esophageal cancer tissues and ESCC cells, and IGF2BP2 overexpression enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and stem cell-like properties of ESCC cells. Conversely, the knockdown of IGF2BP2 expression inhibited malignant phenotype of ESCC cells. Mechanistically, IGF2BP2 upregulated octomer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) mRNA expression, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay proved that IGF2BP2 could interact with OCT4 mRNA. Moreover, OCT4 was modified at m6A confirmed by methylated m6A RNA immunoprecipitation (Me-RIP)-qPCR assay, and IGF2BP2 knockdown reduced OCT4 mRNA stability. These results suggested that IGF2BP2 served as a reader for m6A-modified OCT4, thus increased OCT4 mRNA expression by regulating its stability. Furthermore, the knockdown of OCT4 could reverse the effects of IGF2BP2 on ESCC cells. In conclusion, these data indicate that IGF2BP2, as a reader for m6A, plays an oncogenic role by regulating OCT4 expression in ESCC, which provides new insights into targeting IGF2BP2/OCT4 axis for the therapy of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nuclear Receptor (NR) family of transcriptional regulators possess the ability to sense signalling molecules and directly couple that to a transcriptional response. While this large class of proteins are united by sequence and structural homology, individual NR functional output varies greatly depending on their expression, ligand selectivity and DNA binding sequence specificity. Many NRs have remained somewhat enigmatic, with the absence of a defined ligand categorising them as orphan nuclear receptors. One example is Nuclear Receptor subfamily 6 group A member 1 (Nr6a1), an orphan nuclear receptor that has no close evolutionary homologs and thus is alone in subfamily 6. Nonetheless, Nr6a1 has emerged as an important player in the regulation of key pluripotency and developmental genes, as functionally critical for midgestational developmental progression and as a possible molecular target for driving evolutionary change in animal body plan. Here, we review the current knowledge on this enigmatic nuclear receptor and how it impacts development and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amplification of MYCN is observed in high-risk neuroblastomas (NBs) and is associated with a poor prognosis. MYCN expression is directly regulated by multiple transcription factors, including OCT4, MYCN, CTCF, and p53 in NB. Our previous study showed that inhibition of p53 binding at the MYCN locus induces NB cell death. However, it remains unclear whether inhibition of alternative transcription factor induces NB cell death. In this study, we revealed that the inhibition of OCT4 binding at the MYCN locus, a critical site for the human-specific OCT4-MYCN positive feedback loop, induces caspase-2-mediated cell death in MYCN-amplified NB. We used the CRISPR/deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) technology to specifically inhibit transcription factors from binding to the MYCN locus in the MYCN-amplified NB cell lines CHP134 and IMR32. In both cell lines, the inhibition of OCT4 binding at the MYCN locus reduced MYCN expression, thereby suppressing MYCN-target genes. After inhibition of OCT4 binding, differentially downregulated transcripts were associated with high-open reading frame (ORF) dominance score, which is associated with the translation efficiency of transcripts. These transcripts were enriched in splicing factors, including MYCN-target genes such as HNRNPA1 and PTBP1. Furthermore, transcripts with a high-ORF dominance score were significantly associated with genes whose high expression is associated with a poor prognosis in NB. Because the ORF dominance score correlates with the translation efficiency of transcripts, our findings suggest that MYCN maintains the expression of transcripts with high translation efficiency, contributing to a poor prognosis in NB. In conclusion, the inhibition of OCT4 binding at the MYCN locus resulted in reduced MYCN activity, which in turn led to the downregulation of high-ORF dominance transcripts and subsequently induced caspase-2-mediated cell death in MYCN-amplified NB cells. Therefore, disruption of the OCT4 binding at the MYCN locus may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy for MYCN-amplified NB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been learned about the mechanisms of action of pluripotency factors Oct4 and Sox2. However, as with other regulators of cell identity, little is known about the impact of disrupting their binding motifs in a native environment or the characteristics of genes they regulate. By quantitatively examining dynamic ranges of gene expression instead of focusing on conventional measures of differential expression, we found that Oct4 and Sox2 enhancer binding is strongly enriched near genes subject to large dynamic ranges of expression among cell types, with binding sites near these genes usually within superenhancers. Mutagenesis of representative Oct4:Sox2 motifs near such active, dynamically regulated genes revealed critical roles in transcriptional activation during reprogramming, with more limited roles in transcriptional maintenance in the pluripotent state. Furthermore, representative motifs near silent genes were critical for establishing but not maintaining the fully silent state, while genes whose transcript levels varied by smaller magnitudes among cell types were unaffected by nearby Oct4:Sox2 motifs. These results suggest that Oct4 and Sox2 directly establish both active and silent transcriptional states in pluripotent cells at a large number of genes subject to dynamic regulation during mammalian development, but are less important than expected for maintaining transcriptional states.

Abstract Background Increasing evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to regulate esophageal cancer progression. The lncRNA protein disulfide isomerase family A member 3 pseudogene 1 (PDIA3P1) has been shown to promote cancer stem cell properties; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the regulation of esophageal cancer stem cell properties by the interaction of PDIA3P1 with proteins. Methods The GEPIA2 and Gene Expression Omnibus databases were used to analyze gene expression. PDIA3P1 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Loss-of-function experiments were performed to determine the effects of PDIA3P1 on ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The sphere formation assay, number of side population cells, and CD271 + /CD44 + cells were detected by flow cytometry to identify the cancer stem cell properties. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), dual luciferase reporter, and cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) assays were performed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results PDIA3P1 expression was upregulated in ESCC cell lines and tissues. Functionally, higher PDIA3P1 expression promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and inhibited apoptosis in esophageal cancer. Importantly, PDIA3P1 promoted cancer stem cell properties in ESCC. Mechanistically, PDIA3P1 interacted with and stabilized octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) by eliminating its ubiquitination by the ubiquitinating enzyme WW domain-containing protein 2 (WWP2). Moreover, as a transcription factor, OCT4 bound to the PDIA3P1 promoter and promoted its transcription. Conclusions Our research revealed a novel mechanism by which a positive feedback loop exists between PDIA3P1 and OCT4. It also demonstrated that the PDIA3P1-WWP2-OCT4 loop is beneficial for promoting the cancer stem cell properties of ESCC. Owing to this regulatory relationship, the PDIA3P1-WWP2-OCT4-positive feedback loop might be used in the diagnosis and prognosis, as well as in the development of novel therapeutics for esophageal cancer.

The OCT4 transcription factor is necessary to maintain cell stemness in the early stages of embryogenesis and is involved in the formation of induced pluripotent stem cells, but its role in oncogenesis is not yet entirely clear. In this work, OCT4 expression was investigated in malignant gliomas. Twenty glioma cell lines and a sample of normal adult brain tissue were used. OCT4 expression was found in all studied glioma cell lines but was not detected in normal adult brain tissue. For one of these lines, OCT4 knockdown caused tumor cell death. By varying the culture conditions of these cells, we unexpectedly found that OCT4 expression increased when cells were incubated in serum-free medium, and this effect was significantly enhanced in serum-free and L-glutamine-free medium. L-glutamine and the Krebs cycle, which is slowed down in serum-free medium according to our NMR data, are sources of α-KG. Thus, our data indicate that OCT4 expression in gliomas may be regulated by the α-KG-dependent metabolic reprogramming of cells.

Abstract Background Several publications suggest that UTP11 may be a promising gene engaged for involvement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathology. However, there are extremely limited biological, mechanistic and clinical studies of UTP11 in HCC. Methods To anayze the UTP11 mRNA expression in HCC and normal clinical samples and further investigate the correlation between UTP11 expression and pathology and clinical prognosis via the Cancer Tissue Gene Atlas (TCGA) database. The protein levels of UTP11 were checked using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. GO-KEGG enrichment was performed from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database and TCGA dataset. The levels of UTP11 were tested with qRT-PCR and western blotting assays. Cell viability, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry assays and animal models were used to explore the potential involvement of UTP11 in regulating HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. The correlation of UTP11 and tumor stemness scores and stemness-associated proteins from TCGA database. The mRNA stability was treated with Actinomycin D, followed by testing the mRNA expression using qRT-PCR assay. Results UTP11 was highly expressed in HCC samples compared to normal tissues from TCGA database. Similarly, UTP11 protein expression levels were obviously elevated in HCC tissue samples from HPA database. Furthermore, UTP11 levels were correlated with poor prognosis in HCC patient samples in TCGA dataset. In addition, the UTP11 mRNA levels was notably enhanced in different HCC cell lines than in normal liver cells and knocking down UTP11 was obviously reduced the viability and cell death of HCC cells. UTP11 knockdown suppressed the tumor growth of HCC in vivo experiment and extended the mice survival time. GO-KEEG analysis from CCLE and TCGA database suggested that UTP11 might involve in RNA splicing and the stability of mRNA. Further, UTP11 was positively correlated with tumor stemness scores and stemness-associated proteins from TCGA database. Knockdown of UTP11 was reduced the expression of stem cell-related genes and regulated the mRNA stability of Oct4. Conclusions UTP11 is potentially a diagnostic molecule and a therapeutic candidate for treatment of HCC.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Altered neurogenesis and the appearance of AD pathological hallmarks are fundamental to this disease. SRY-Box transcription factor 2 (Sox2), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), and Nanog are a set of core transcription factors that play a very decisive role in the preservation of pluripotency and the self-renewal capacity of embryonic and adult stem cells. These factors are critically involved in AD pathogenesis, senescence, and aging. Skin fibroblasts are emblematic of cellular damage in patients. We, therefore, in the present study, analyzed the basal expression of these factors in young, aged, and AD fibroblasts. AD fibroblasts displayed an altered expression of these factors, differing from aged and young fibroblasts. Since melatonin is well acknowledged for its anti-aging, anti-senescence and anti-AD therapeutic benefits, we further investigated the effects of melatonin treatment on the expression of these factors in fibroblasts, along with precise validation of the observed data in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Our findings reveal that melatonin administration augmented the expression levels of Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog significantly in both cells. Altogether, our study presents the neuroprotective potential and efficacy of melatonin, which might have significant therapeutic benefits for aging and AD patients.

Fish retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can regenerate after optic nerve lesions (ONLs). We previously reported that heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and Yamanaka factors increased in the zebrafish retina 0.5–24 h after ONLs, and they led to cell survival and the transformation of neuro-stem cells. We also showed that retinoic acid (RA) signaling and transglutaminase 2 (TG2) were activated in the fish retina, performing neurite outgrowth 5–30 days after ONLs. In this study, we found that RA signaling and TG2 increased within 0.5 h in the zebrafish retina after ONLs. We examined their interaction with the TG2-specific morpholino and inhibitor due to the significantly close initiation time of TG2 and HSF1. The inhibition of TG2 led to the complete suppression of HSF1 expression. Furthermore, the results of a ChIP assay with an anti-TG2 antibody evidenced significant anti-TG2 immunoprecipitation of HSF1 genome DNA after ONLs. The inhibition of TG2 also suppressed Yamanaka factors’ gene expression. This rapid increase in TG2 expression occurred 30 min after the ONLs, and RA signaling occurred 15 min before this change. The present study demonstrates that TG2 regulates Yamanaka factors via HSF1 signals in the acute phase of fish optic nerve regeneration.

Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) encompasses a diverse range of tumors with varying degrees of differentiation. Within tumors, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to play a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. This study aimed to explore the expression of two CSC markers i.e. CD24 and Oct4, in patients with HNSCC. Methods The study included 85 patients diagnosed with HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of CD24 and Oct4 in tumor tissues obtained from patients with HNSCC. Staining intensity and the proportion of positive tumor cells were analyzed and compared across the various HNSCC grades and histological subtypes. Results The findings revealed that the mean immunoreactivity score (IRS) for CD24 was significantly higher in non-conventional HNSCC subtypes compared to conventional types ( p = 0.019). Additionally, a significant statistical association was observed between the IRS status of CD24 and histological subtypes ( p = 0.043). Other demographic, clinical, and histological parameters showed non-significant associations with staining intensity, proportion score (PC), IRS status, and mean IRS (all p values > 0.05). Conclusions These findings indicate that CD24 could potentially serve as a CSC marker for distinguishing between conventional and non-conventional histological types of HNSCC. This suggests that CD24 holds promise as a valuable tool in identifying specific HNSCC subtypes characterized by CSCs.

Background: Increasing evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to regulate esophageal cancer progression. The lncRNA protein disulfide isomerase family A member 3 pseudogene 1 (PDIA3P1) has been shown to promote cancer stem cell properties; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the regulation of esophageal cancer stem cell properties by the interaction of PDIA3P1 with proteins. Methods: The GEPIA2 and Gene Expression Omnibus databases were used to analyze gene expression. PDIA3P1 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Loss-of-function experiments were performed to determine the effects of PDIA3P1 on ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The sphere formation assay, number of side population cells, and CD271 + /CD44 + cells were detected by flow cytometry to identify the cancer stem cell properties. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), dual luciferase reporter, and cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) assays were performed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: PDIA3P1 expression was upregulated in ESCC cell lines and tissues. Functionally, higher PDIA3P1 expression promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and inhibited apoptosis in esophageal cancer. Importantly, PDIA3P1 promoted cancer stem cell properties in ESCC. Mechanistically, PDIA3P1 interacted with and stabilized octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) by eliminating its ubiquitination by the ubiquitinating enzyme WW domain-containing protein 2 (WWP2). Moreover, as a transcription factor, OCT4 bound to the PDIA3P1 promoter and promoted its transcription. Conclusions: Our research revealed a novel mechanism by which a positive feedback loop exists between PDIA3P1 and OCT4. It also demonstrated that the PDIA3P1-WWP2-OCT4 loop is beneficial for promoting the cancer stem cell properties of ESCC. Owing to this regulatory relationship, the PDIA3P1-WWP2-OCT4-positive feedback loop might be used in the diagnosis and prognosis, as well as in the development of novel therapeutics for esophageal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several publications suggest that UTP11 may be a promising gene engaged for involvement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathology. However, there are extremely limited biological, mechanistic and clinical studies of UTP11 in HCC. Methods: To anayze the UTP11 mRNA expression in HCC and normal clinical samples and further investigate the correlation between UTP11 expression and pathology and clinical prognosis via the Cancer Tissue Gene Atlas (TCGA) database. The protein levels of UTP11 were checked using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. GO-KEGG enrichment was performed from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database and TCGA dataset. The levels of UTP11 were tested with qRT-PCR and western blotting assays. Cell viability, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry assays and animal models were used to explore the potential involvement of UTP11 in regulating HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. The correlation of UTP11 and tumor stemness scores and stemness-associated proteins from TCGA database. The mRNA stability was treated with Actinomycin D, followed by testing the mRNA expression using qRT-PCR assay. Results: UTP11 was highly expressed in HCC samples compared to normal tissues from TCGA database. Similarly, UTP11 protein expression levels were obviously elevated in HCC tissue samples from HPA database. Furthermore, UTP11 levels were correlated with poor prognosis in HCC patient samples in TCGA dataset. In addition, the UTP11 mRNA levels was notably enhanced in different HCC cell lines than in normal liver cells and knocking down UTP11 was obviously reduced the viability and cell death of HCC cells. UTP11 knockdown suppressed the tumor growth of HCC in vivo experiment and extended the mice survival time. GO-KEEG analysis from CCLE and TCGA database suggested that UTP11 might involve in RNA splicing and the stability of mRNA. Further, UTP11 was positively correlated with tumor stemness scores and stemness-associated proteins from TCGA database. Knockdown of UTP11 was reduced the expression of stem cell-related genes and regulated the mRNA stability of Oct4. Conclusions: UTP11 is potentially a diagnostic molecule and a therapeutic candidate for treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In birds, primordial germ cells (PGCs) use the bloodstream to travel to a specific region, where the cells undergo extravasation followed by intrastromal migration to the gonadal crest for further colonization. Currently, DDX4, SSEA1, and Oct4 are used to identify germ cells. Other germline cell‐associated molecules are N‐cadherin, GnRHR, and 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD), which have been used in mice and birds during gonadal development; however, its role in early gonadogenesis in birds is poorly described. This study aimed to evaluate the differential immunodetection of N‐cadherin binding molecule, Oct4 pluripotency protein, GnRHR receptor, and 3βHSD enzyme in Columba livia embryos during migration colonization of PGCs in the gonadal crest and early gonadogenesis. These markers were revealed by immunohistochemistry in histological preparations of C. livia corresponding to stages (S)15 to S40. Immunodetection of N‐cadherin, Oct4, GnRHR, and 3βHSD in the germ line of C. livia allowed the identification of PGCs in the yolk sac membrane at the level of the splanchnic mesoderm during migration to the genital crest and its colonization. In the same way, it was possible to characterize and localize PGCs during early gonadogenesis. This study in C. livia demonstrates that Oct4, N‐cadherin, GNRHR, and 3βHSD are immunodetected in PGCs and could be used as potential germline cell markers during cell migration out of blood vessels, colonization in the genital crest, and early gonadogenesis. Furthermore, this study could be used as a novel general model to understand the early gonadogenesis in altricial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thioredoxin interacting protein (Txnip) is a stress-responsive factor regulating Trx1 for redox balance and involved in diverse cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, inflammation, and metabolism. However, the biological role of Txnip function in stem cell pluripotency has yet to be investigated. Here, we reveal the novel functions of mouse Txnip in cellular reprogramming and differentiation onset by involving in glucose-mediated histone acetylation and the regulation of Oct4, which is a fundamental component of the molecular circuitry underlying pluripotency. During reprogramming or PSC differentiation process, cellular metabolic and chromatin remodeling occur in order to change its cellular fate. Txnip knockout promotes induced pluripotency but hinders initial differentiation by activating pluripotency factors and promoting glycolysis. This alteration affects the intracellular levels of acetyl-coA, a final product of enhanced glycolysis, resulting in sustained histone acetylation on active PSC gene regions. Moreover, Txnip directly interacts with Oct4, thereby repressing its activity and consequently deregulating Oct4 target gene transcriptions. Our work suggests that control of Txnip expression is crucial for cell fate transitions by modulating the entry and exit of pluripotency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulatory network between signaling pathways and transcription factors (TFs) is crucial for the maintenance of pluripotent stem cells. However, little is known about how the key TF OCT4 coordinates signaling pathways to regulate self‐renewal and lineage differentiation of porcine pluripotent stem cells (pPSCs). Here, we explored the function of OCT4 in pPSCs by transcriptome and chromatin accessibility analysis. The TFs motif enrichment analysis revealed that, following OCT4 knockdown, the regions of increased chromatin accessibility were enriched with EOMES, GATA6, and FOXA1, indicating that pPSCs differentiated toward the mesoendoderm (ME) lineage. Besides, pPSCs rapidly differentiated into ME when the WNT/β‐catenin inhibitor XAV939 was removed. However, the ME differentiation of pPSCs caused by OCT4 knockdown did not rely on the activation of WNT/β‐catenin signaling because the target gene of WNT/β‐catenin signaling, AXIN2 was not upregulated after OCT4 knockdown, despite significant upregulation of WLS and some WNT ligands. Importantly, OCT4 is directly bound to the promoter and enhancers of EOMES and repressed its transcription. Overexpression of EOMES was sufficient to induce ME differentiation in the presence of XAV939. These results demonstrate that OCT4 can regulate WNT/β‐catenin signaling and prevent ME differentiation of pPSCs by repressing EOMES transcription. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Octamer‐binding transcription factor‐4 (Oct4) is upregulated in different malignancies, yet a paradigm for mechanisms of Oct4 post‐embryonic re‐expression is inadequately understood. In cervical cancer, Oct4 expression is higher in human papillomavirus (HPV)‐related than HPV‐unrelated cervical cancers and this upregulation correlates with the expression of the E7 oncogene. We have reported that E7 affects the Oct4‐transcriptional output and Oct4‐related phenotypes in cervical cancer, however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we characterize the Oct4‐protein interactions in cervical cancer cells via computational analyses and Mass Spectrometry and reveal that Methyl‐binding proteins (MBD2 and MBD3), are determinants of Oct4‐driven transcription. E7 triggers MBD2 downregulation and TET1 upregulation, thereby disrupting the methylation status of the Oct4 gene. This coincides with an increase in the total DNA hydroxymethylation leading to the re‐expression of Oct4 in cervical cancer and likely affecting broader transcriptional patterns. Our findings reveal a previously unreported mechanism by which the E7 oncogene can regulate Oct4 re‐expression and global transcriptional patterns by increasing DNA hydroxymethylation and lowering the barrier to cellular plasticity during carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oct4 has critical role in maintaining pluripotency, proliferative potential, and self-renewal capacity in embryonic stem and germ cells. Although Oct4 has been shown to be upregulated in many cancers, its clinical significance in gallbladder carcinoma is poorly understood. Methods: We studied the expression profile of Oct4 in 61 GBC and 30 chronic cholecystitis (as control) using real time RT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The expression data was correlated with clinico-pathological parameters. The diagnostic utility was assessed through ROC curve, and prognostic value was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Oct4 was significantly upregulated at mRNA as well as protein levels. The higher mRNA expression shows significant association with late stage, late T stage, and higher grade of tumor. A significant positive correlation was also observed with stage, T stage, and tumor grade. Sum score analysis of protein expression shows positive correlation with stage and the presence or absence of gallstone in tumor samples. The ROC curve analysis revealed the moderate diagnostic potential of Oct4. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients having higher expression of Oct4 were having low mean survival compared with the patients with lower Oct4 expression. Conclusion: In conclusion, our data suggests that higher expression of Oct4 may serve as potential biological indicator for tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis of GBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study aimed to investigate and characterize the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in buffaloes at different stages of development, including prenatal, neonatal, prepubertal, and adult testes. We sought a comprehensive understanding of these cells through a combination of histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural analyses. Specifically, we examined changes in the expression of two potential SSC markers, OCT4 and PGP9.5, using immunohistochemistry. Additionally, we conducted a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to assess the relative gene expression of OCT4 and PGP9.5. The relative expression of the OCT4 gene was down-regulated in the adult testes compared to its expression during prepubertal and neonatal life. The relative expression of the PGP9.5 gene was up-regulated in the neonatal testes and down-regulated in the prepubertal and adult testes. The spermatogonia were round, oval-to-ellipsoidal cells lying over the basement membrane (BM) with a round-to-oval nucleus. Based on the immunoexpression of the putative SSC markers, OCT4 and PGP9.5, we concluded that the proportion of stem cells was highest during the neonatal stage, followed by the prepubertal and prenatal stages. This finding sheds light on the dynamics of spermatogonial stem cells in buffalo testes at different developmental stages, providing valuable insights into these cells’ regulation and potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mechanism of tumorigenicity potentially evolved in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) remains elusive, resulting in inconsistent clinical application efficacy. We hypothesized that subclones in MSCs contribute to their tumorgenicity, and we approached MSC-subclones at the single-cell level. Methods: MSCs were cultured in an osteogenic differentiation medium and harvested on days 12, 19, and 25 for cell differentiation analysis using Alizarin Red and followed with the single-cell transcriptome. Results: Single-cell RNA-seq analysis reveals a discrete cluster of MSCs during osteogenesis, including differentiation-resistant MSCs (DR-MSCs), differentiated osteoblasts (DO), and precursor osteoblasts (PO). The DR-MSCs population resembled cancer initiation cells and were subjected to further analysis of the yes associated protein 1 (YAP1) network. Verteporfin was also used for YAP1 inhibition in cancer cell lines to confirm the role of YAP1 in MSC--involved tumorigenicity. Clinical data from various cancer types were analyzed to reveal relationships among YAP1, OCT4, and CDH6 in MSC--involved tumorigenicity. The expression of cadherin 6 (CDH6), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4), and YAP1 expression was significantly upregulated in DR-MSCs compared to PO and DO. YAP1 inhibition by Verteporfin accelerated the differentiation of MSCs and suppressed the expression of YAP1, CDH6, and OCT4. A survey of 56 clinical cohorts revealed a high degree of co-expression among CDH6, YAP1, and OCT4 in various solid tumors. YAP1 inhibition also down-regulated HeLa cell viability and gradually inhibited YAP1 nuclear localization while reducing the transcription of CDH6 and OCT4. Conclusions: We used single-cell sequencing to analyze undifferentiated MSCs and to discover a carcinogenic pathway in single-cell MSCs of differentiated resistance subclones.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are nucleotide sequences that participate in different biological processes and are associated with different pathologies, including cancer. Long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 662 (LINC00662) has been reported to be involved in different cancers, including colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer. However, its role in gallbladder cancer has not yet been described. In this article, we hypothesize that LINC00662 has an important role in the acquisition of aggressiveness traits such as a stem-like phenotype, invasion, and chemoresistance in gallbladder cancer. Here, we show that LINC00662 is associated with larger tumor size and lymph node metastasis in patients with gallbladder cancer. Furthermore, we show that the overexpression of LINC00662 promotes an increase in CD133+/CD44+ cell populations and the expression of stemness-associated genes. LINC00662 promotes greater invasive capacity and the expression of genes associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition. In addition, the expression of LINC00662 promotes resistance to cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, associated with increased expression of chemoresistance-related ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in gallbladder cancer (GBC) cell lines. Finally, we show that the mechanism by which LINC00662 exerts its function is through a decrease in microRNA 335-5p (miR-335-5p) and an increase in octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) in GBC cells. Thus, our data allow us to propose LINC00662 as a biomarker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target for patients with GBC.

Special AT-rich sequence binding protein-2 (SATB2) is a nuclear matrix protein that binds to nuclear attachment regions and is involved in chromatin remodeling and transcription regulation. In stem cells, it regulates the expression of genes required for maintaining pluripotency and self-renewal and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this study, we examined the oncogenic role of SATB2 in prostate cancer and assessed whether overexpression of SATB2 in human normal prostate epithelial cells (PrECs) induces properties of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The results demonstrate that SATB2 is highly expressed in prostate cancer cell lines and CSCs, but not in PrECs. Overexpression of SATB2 in PrECs induces cellular transformation which was evident by the formation of colonies in soft agar and spheroids in suspension. Overexpression of SATB2 in PrECs also resulted in induction of stem cell markers (CD44 and CD133), pluripotency-maintaining transcription factors (cMYC, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and NANOG), CADHERIN switch, and EMT-related transcription factors. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that SATB2 can directly bind to promoters of BCL-2, BSP, NANOG, MYC, XIAP, KLF4, and HOXA2, suggesting SATB2 is capable of directly regulating pluripotency/self-renewal, cell survival, and proliferation. Since prostate CSCs play a crucial role in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, we also examined the effects of SATB2 knockdown on stemness. SATB2 knockdown in prostate CSCs inhibited spheroid formation, cell viability, colony formation, cell motility, migration, and invasion compared to their scrambled control groups. SATB2 knockdown in CSCs also upregulated the expression of E-CADHERIN and inhibited the expression of N-CADHERIN, SNAIL, SLUG, and ZEB1. The expression of SATB2 was significantly higher in prostate adenocarcinoma compared to normal tissues. Overall, our data suggest that SATB2 acts as an oncogenic factor where it is capable of inducing malignant changes in PrECs by inducing CSC characteristics.

Background and Objectives: Lung adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality despite recent therapeutic advances. Cancer stem cells have gained increasing attention due to their ability to induce cancer cell proliferation through self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell lineages. OCT4 and LIN28 (and their homologs A and B) have been identified as key regulators of pluripotency in mammalian embryonic (ES) and induced stem (IS) cells, and they are the crucial regulators of cancer progression. However, their exact role in lung adenocarcinoma has not yet been clarified. Materials and Methods: The aim of this study was to explore the role of the pluripotency factors OCT4 and LIN28 in a cohort of surgically resected human lung adenocarcinomas to reveal possible biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma prognosis and potential therapeutic targets. The expressions of OCT4, LIN28A and LIN28B were analyzed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 96 patients with lung adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry. The results were analyzed with clinicopathologic parameters and were related to the prognosis of patients. Results: Higher OCT4 expression was related to an improved 5-year overall survival (OS) rate (p < 0.001). Nuclear LIN28B expression was lower in stage I and II tumors (p < 0.05) compared to advanced stage tumors. LIN28B cytoplasmic expression was associated with 5-year OS rates not only in univariate (p < 0.005), but also in multivariate analysis (where age, gender, histopathological subtype and stage were used as cofactors, p < 0.01 HR = 2.592). Patients with lower LIN28B expression showed improved 5-year OS rates compared to patients with increased LIN28B expression. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that OCT4 and LIN28B are implicated in lung adenocarcinoma progression and prognosis outcome; thus, they serve as promising prognostic biomarkers and putative therapeutic targets in lung adenocarcinomas.

Ruan Z, Yang X, Cheng W. Cancer Manag Res. 2019;11:389–399. We, the Editors and Publisher of Cancer Management and Research, have retracted the following article. Following publication of the article, concerns were raised about the duplication of images from Figures 2, 4 and 5 with images from other unrelated articles. Specifically, Images for Figure 2I have been duplicated with images for Figure 3b from Qin S, Zhao Y, Lim G, et al. Circular RNA PVT1 acts as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-497 in promoting non-small cell lung cancer progression. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2019;111:244-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.12.007 and Figure 5 from Wang D, Gao Y, Zhang Y, Wang L, Chen G; Glypican-3 promotes cell proliferation and tumorigenesis through up-regulation of β-catenin expression in lung squamous cell carcinoma. Biosci Rep. 2019;39(6):BSR20181147. https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20181147. Images for Figure 4G have been duplicated with images for Figure 3C from Xu X, Chen Y, Wang X, Mu X. Role of Hippo/YAP signaling in irradiation-induced glioma cell apoptosis. Cancer Manag Res. 2019;11:7577-7585. https://doi.org/10.2147/CMAR.S210825. Images for Figure 4H have been duplicated with images for Figures 2G and 4C from Xu, M, Gu M, Zhou J, Da J, Wang Z. Interaction of YAP1 and mTOR promotes bladder cancer progression. International Journal of Oncology. 2020;56:232-242. RETRACTED https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2019.4922 and Gao Y, Zhang G, Liu J, Li H. Tissue-specific transplantation antigen P35B functions as an oncogene and is regulated by microRNA-125a-5p in lung cancer. Oncology Reports. 2021;45:72. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2021.8023, respectively. Images for Figure 5F have been duplicated with images for Figure 2C from Li Y, Tao C, Dai L, et al. MicroRNA-625 inhibits cell invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition by targeting SOX4 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Biosci Rep. 2019;39(1):BSR20181882. https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20181882; Figure 2C from Gao Y, Zhang G, Liu J, Li H. Tissue-specific transplantation antigen P35B functions as an oncogene and is regulated by microRNA-125a-5p in lung cancer. Oncology Reports. 2021;45:72. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2021.8023; Figure 2E from Wang L, Kong W, Liu B, Zhang X. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen promotes cell proliferation and tumorigenesis by up-regulating STAT3 in non-small cell lung cancer. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2018;104:595-602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.05.071 and Figure 3D and 5D from Yuan L, Tian J. LIN28B promotes the progression of colon cancer by increasing B-cell lymphoma 2 expression. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2018;103:355-361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.04.002. Images for Figure 5G have been duplicated with images for Figure 3I from Yang J, Yu L, Yan J, et al. Circular RNA DGKB Promotes the Progression of Neuroblastoma by Targeting miR-873/GLI1 Axis. Front. Oncol. 2020;10:1104. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.01104 and Figure 5J from Du M, Shen P, Tan R, Wu D, Tu S. Aloe-emodin inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of melanoma cells via inactivation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Ann Transl Med. 2021;9(23):1722. https://doi.org/10.21037/atm-21-5437. The authors responded to our queries but were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the duplicated images or provide satisfactory data for the study. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article and the authors were notified of this. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.

Abstract Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) reveals chromatin accessibility across the genome. Currently, no method specifically detects differential chromatin accessibility. Here, SeATAC uses a conditional variational autoencoder model to learn the latent representation of ATAC-seq V-plots and outperforms MACS2 and NucleoATAC on six separate tasks. Applying SeATAC to several pioneer factor-induced differentiation or reprogramming ATAC-seq datasets suggests that induction of these factors not only relaxes the closed chromatin but also decreases chromatin accessibility of 20% to 30% of their target sites. SeATAC is a novel tool to accurately reveal genomic regions with differential chromatin accessibility from ATAC-seq data.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) plays a key role in cell metabolism and signaling. In recent years, evidence has accumulated that NAD+-dependent processes are involved in the regulation of pluripotency and differentiation of mammalian embryonic stem cells. The major means to maintain NAD+ levels in mammalian cells is through its biosynthesis from various forms of vitamin B3. In this study, we elucidated how stimulation and suppression of NAD+ biosynthesis affect the maintenance of the pluripotency of E14 Tg2a mouse embryonic stem cells (E14 cells). The pluripotency status of E14 cells was assessed by immunocytochemical analysis and immunoblotting using antibodies to the pluripotency factor Oct4, as well as by staining for alkaline phosphatase. Using NMR spectroscopy, we have found that the concentration of NAD+ in pluripotent E14 cells cultured in the presence of the leukemia inhibitory factor is about 4 nmol/mg and it remains unchanged after the induction of differentiation with retinoic acid. We have also shown that pharmacological stimulation of NAD+ biosynthesis with nicotinamide riboside increases the level of intracellular NAD+ by 20%, but it does not affect the maintenance of pluripotency of E14 cells. Moreover, under conditions of critical depletion of the intracellular NAD+ pool, when its synthesis from nicotinamide was suppressed by nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase inhibitor (FK866), E14 cells retained pluripotency, while the Oct4 protein level was reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising modality for cancer treatment. Dendritic cell immunoreceptor (DCIR), a C-type lectin receptor, is expressed mainly by dendritic cells (DCs) and mediates inhibitory intracellular signaling. Inhibition of DCIR activation may enhance antitumor activity. DCIR is encoded by CLEC4A in humans and by Clec4a2 in mice. Gene gun-mediated delivery of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting Clec4a2 into mice bearing bladder tumors reduces DCIR expression in DCs, inhibiting tumor growth and inducing CD8+ T cell immune responses. Various oncolytic adenoviruses have been developed in clinical trials. Previously, we have developed Ad.LCY, an oncolytic adenovirus regulated by Oct4 and hypoxia, and demonstrated its antitumor efficacy. Here, we generated a Clec4a2 shRNA-expressing oncolytic adenovirus derived from Ad.LCY, designated Ad.shDCIR, aimed at inducing more robust antitumor immune responses. Our results show that treatment with Ad.shDCIR reduced Clec4a expression in DCs in cell culture. Furthermore, Ad.shDCIR exerted cytolytic effects solely on MBT-2 bladder cancer cells but not on normal NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblasts, confirming the tumor selectivity of Ad.shDCIR. Compared to Ad.LCY, Ad.shDCIR induced higher cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity in MBT-2 tumor-bearing immunocompetent mice. In addition, Ad.shDCIR and Ad.LCY exhibited similar antitumor effects on inhibiting tumor growth. Notably, Ad.shDCIR was superior to Ad.LCY in prolonging the survival of tumor-bearing mice. In conclusion, Ad.shDCIR may be further explored as a combination therapy of virotherapy and immunotherapy for bladder cancer and likely other types of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the tumor with the second highest mortality rate worldwide. Recent research data show that KIF11, a member of the kinesin family (KIF), plays an important role in the progression of various tumors. However, its expression and molecular mechanism in HCC remain elusive. Here, we evaluated the potential role of KIF11 in HCC. The effect of KIF11 was evaluated using the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, LM3 and Huh7, after genetic or pharmacological treatment. Evaluating the role of KIF11 in the xenograft animal models using its specific inhibitor. The role of KIF11 was systematically evaluated using specimens obtained from the aforementioned animal and cell models after various in vivo and in vitro experiments. The clinicopathological analysis showed that KIF11 was expressed at high levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell experiments in vitro showed that KIF11 deficiency significantly slowed the proliferation of liver tumor cells. And in the experiment using liver cancer cells overexpressing OCT4, overexpression of OCT4 substantially increased the proliferation of tumor cells compared with tumor cells with KIF11 knockdown alone. Both in vitro cell experiment and in vivo xenotransplantation tumor experiment showed that monastrol, an inhibitor of KIF11, could effectively delay the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. Based on these results, KIF11 is expressed at high levels in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes tumor proliferation in an OCT4-dependent manner. KIF11 may become a therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma, and its inhibitor monastrol may become a clinical antitumor drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc enable the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent cells. Reprogramming generates newly differentiated cells for potential therapies in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rejuvenation processes. In cancer therapies, these transcription factors lead to a reduction in the size and aggressiveness of certain tumors, such as sarcomas, and in neurodegenerative diseases, they enable the production of dopaminergic cells in Parkinson's disease, the replacement of affected neuronal cells in olivopontocerebellar atrophy, and the regeneration of the optic nerve. However, there are limitations, such as an increased risk of cancer development when using Klf4 and c-Myc and the occurrence of abnormal dyskinesias in the medium term, possibly generated by the uncontrolled growth of differentiated dopaminergic cells and the impairment of the survival of the new cells. Therefore, the Yamanaka transcription factors have shown therapeutic potential through cell reprogramming for some carcinomas, neurodegenerative diseases, and rejuvenation. However, the limitations found in the studies require further investigation before the use of these transcription factors in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms of cell reprogramming by pluripotency-related transcription factors or nuclear transfer seem to be mediated by similar pathways, and the study of the contribution of OCT4 and SOX2 in both processes may help elucidate the mechanisms responsible for pluripotency. Bovine fibroblasts expressing exogenous OCT4 or SOX2, or both, were analyzed regarding the expression of pluripotency factors and imprinted genes H19 and IGF2R, and used for in vitro reprogramming. The expression of the H19 gene was increased in the control sorted group, and putative iPSC-like cells were obtained when cells were not submitted to cell sorting. When sorted cells expressing OCT4, SOX2, or none (control) were used as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer, fusion rates were 60.0% vs. 64.95% and 70.53% vs. 67.24% for SOX2 vs. control and OCT4 vs. control groups, respectively; cleavage rates were 66.66% vs. 81.68% and 86.47% vs. 85.18%, respectively; blastocyst rates were 33.05% vs. 44.15% and 52.06% vs. 44.78%, respectively. These results show that the production of embryos by NT resulted in similar rates of in vitro developmental competence compared to control cells regardless of different profiles of pluripotency-related gene expression presented by donor cells; however, induced reprogramming was compromised after cell sorting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spermatogonia Stem Cells (SSCs) are potential candidates for reprogramming and regeneration. Recent studies have revealed that differentiated cells can be reverted to pluripotent by overexpressing a set of pluripotent transcription factors. OCT4 (encoded by pou5f1), a POU transcription factor family member, is essential to the potential that controls pluripotency, and it is widely expressed in pluripotent stem cells, although it decreased or suppressed after differentiation. Methods: In this investigated research, we examined the OCT4 expression during the differentiation of SSCs into neurons (involving four stages in the following order: SSCs in vivo and in-vitro, embryonic Stem Cell-like (ES-like), Embryonic Bodies (EBs), and finally Neurons) by Immunocytochemistry (ICC), Immunohistochemistry (IMH), and Fluidigm Real-Time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, we use some databases like STRING to predict protein–protein interaction and enrichment analysis. Results: We evaluated the expression of OCT4 in this process, and we observed that it is expressed in SSCs, ES-like, and EBs during the differentiation of spermatogonia stem cells into adult neurons. We show that by adding RA to EBs, the expression of OCT4 is reduced and is not expressed in the neuron cells. We observed that the expression of OCT4 is linked and interacts with the differentiation of spermatogonia stem cells into neuron cells, and it has been shown to be biologically functional, like stem cell maintenance and somatic cell reprogramming. Conclusion: Our findings can help us better understand the process of differentiation of spermatogonia stem cells into neurons, and it can be effective in finding new and more efficient treatments for neurogenesis and repair of neurons. We examined the OCT4 expression during the differentiation of SSCs into neurons (involving four stages in the following order: SSCs in vivo and in-vitro, embryonic Stem Cell-like (ES-like), Embryonic Bodies (EBs), and finally Neurons) by Immunocytochemistry (ICC), Immunohistochemistry (IMH), and Fluidigm Real-Time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, we use some databases like STRING to predict protein–protein interaction and enrichment analysis. We evaluated the expression of OCT4 in this process, and we observed that it is expressed in SSCs, ES-like, and EBs during the differentiation of spermatogonia stem cells into adult neurons. We show that by adding RA to EBs, the expression of OCT4 is reduced and is not expressed in the neuron cells. We observed that the expression of OCT4 is linked and interacts with the differentiation of spermatogonia stem cells into neuron cells, and it has been shown to be biologically functional, like stem cell maintenance and somatic cell reprogramming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key regulatory decisions during cleavage divisions in mammalian embryogenesis determine the fate of preimplantation embryonic cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing of early-stage—2-cell, 4-cell, and 8-cell—blastomeres show that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), traditionally considered as an environmental sensor, directs blastomere differentiation. Disruption of AHR functions in Ahr knockout embryos or in embryos from dams exposed to dioxin, the prototypic xenobiotic AHR agonist, significantly impairs blastocyst formation, causing repression and loss of transcriptional heterogeneity of OCT4 and CDX2 and incidence of nonspecific downregulation of pluripotency. Trajectory—the path of differentiation—and gene variability analyses further confirm that deregulation of OCT4 functions and changes of transcriptional heterogeneity resulting from disruption of AHR functions restrict the emergence of differentiating blastomeres in 4-cell embryos. It appears that AHR directs the differentiation of progenitor blastomeres and that disruption of preimplantation AHR functions may significantly perturb embryogenesis leading to long-lasting conditions at the heart of disease in offspring's adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OCT4 is a core transcription factor involved in pluripotency maintenance in the early mammalian embryo. The POU5F1 gene that encodes the OCT4 protein is highly conserved across species, suggesting conserved function. However, studies in several species including mice, cattle, and pigs, suggest that there are differences in where and when OCT4 is expressed. Specifically, in the horse, several studies have shown that exposure to the uterine environment may be necessary to induce OCT4 expression restriction to the inner cell mass (ICM) of the developing embryo, suggesting that there may be equine-specific extrinsic regulators of OCT4 expression that have not yet been investigated. However, an alternative hypothesis is that this restriction may not be evident in equine embryos because of our inability to culture them to the epiblast stage, preventing the observation of this restriction. In vitro studies have identified that OCT4 is expressed in the immature equine oocyte and in the early equine embryo, but OCT4 expression has not been studied after the formation of the ICM in the equine embryo. Despite the gaps in knowledge about equine-specific functions of OCT4, this factor has been used in studies assessing equine embryonic stem cells and to induce pluripotency in equine somatic cells. This review describes the role of OCT4 in the equine embryo and its applications in equine stem cell research.