Dataset Information

The RNA-Binding Protein ESRP1 Modulates the Expression of RAC1b in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

ABSTRACT: RNA binding proteins are well recognized as critical regulators of tumorigenic processes through their capacity to modulate RNA biogenesis, including alternative splicing, RNA stability and mRNA translation. The RNA binding protein Epithelial Splicing Regulatory Protein 1 (ESRP1) can act as a tumor suppressor or promoter in a cell type- and disease context-dependent manner. We have previously shown that elevated expression of ESRP1 in colorectal cancer cells can drive tumor progression. To gain further insights into the pro-tumorigenic mechanism of action of ESRP1, we performed cDNA microarray analysis on two colorectal cells lines modulated for ESRP1 expression. Intriguingly, RAC1b was highly expressed, both at mRNA and protein levels, in ESRP1-overexpressing cells, while the opposite trend was observed in ESRP1-silenced CRC cells. Moreover, RAC1 and RAC1b mRNA co-immunoprecipitate with ESRP1 protein. Silencing of RAC1b expression significantly reduced the number of soft agar colonies formed by ESRP1-overexpressing cells, suggesting that ESRP1 acted, at least partially, through RAC1b in its tumor-promoting activities in CRC cells. Thus, our data provide molecular cues on targetable candidates in CRC cases with high ESRP1 expression.

SUBMITTER: Manco M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8392041 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Aberrant alternative splicing events play a critical role in cancer biology, contributing to tumor invasion, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance. Recent studies have shown that alternative splicing is a key feature for transcriptomic variations in colorectal cancer, which ranks third among malignant tumors worldwide in both incidence and mortality. Long non-coding RNAs can modulate this process by acting as trans-regulatory agents, recruiting splicing factors, or driving them to specific targeted genes. LncH19 is a lncRNA dis-regulated in several tumor types and, in colorectal cancer, it plays a critical role in tumor onset, progression, and metastasis. In this paper, we found, that in colorectal cancer cells, the long non-coding RNA H19 can bind immature RNAs and splicing factors as hnRNPM and RBFOX2. Through bioinformatic analysis, we identified 57 transcripts associated with lncH19 and containing binding sites for both splicing factors, hnRNPM, and RBFOX2. Among these transcripts, we identified the mRNA of the GTPase-RAC1, whose alternatively spliced isoform, RAC1B, has been ascribed several roles in the malignant transformation. We confirmed, in vitro, the binding of the splicing factors to both the transcripts RAC1 and lncH19. Loss and gain of expression experiments in two colorectal cancer cell lines (SW620 and HCT116) demonstrated that lncH19 is required for RAC1B expression and, through RAC1B, it induces c-Myc and Cyclin-D increase. In vivo, investigation from biopsies of colorectal cancer patients showed higher levels of all the explored genes (lncH19, RAC1B, c-Myc and Cyclin-D) concerning the healthy counterpart, thus supporting our in vitro model. In addition, we identified a positive correlation between lncH19 and RAC1B in colorectal cancer patients. Finally, we demonstrated that lncH19, as a shuttle, drives the splicing factors RBFOX2 and hnRNPM to RAC1 allowing exon retention and RAC1B expression. The data shown in this paper represent the first evidence of a new mechanism of action by which lncH19 carries out its functions as an oncogene by prompting colorectal cancer through the modulation of alternative splicing.

Dataset Information

The RNA-Binding Protein ESRP1 Modulates the Expression of RAC1b in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets