ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
·
2024
·
IF 5.7
Yingao Yang,Zixuan Zhou,Yifen Guo,Ruipeng Chen,Daoming Tian,Shuyue Ren,Huanying Zhou,Zhixian Gao
Background DNA tweezers, classified as DNA nanomachines, have gained prominence as multifunctional biosensors due to their advantages, including a straightforward structure, response mechanism, and high programmability. While the DNA tweezers demonstrate simultaneous, rapid, and stable responses to different targets, their detection sensitivity requires enhancement. Some small molecules , such as mycotoxins , often require more sensitive detection due to their extremely high toxicity. Therefore, more effective signal amplification strategies are needed to further enhance the sensitivity of DNA tweezers in biosensing. Results We designed programmable DNA tweezers that detect small-molecule mycotoxins and miRNAs through simple sequence substitution. While the DNA tweezers demonstrate simultaneous, rapid, and stable responses to different targets, their detection sensitivity requires enhancement. We introduced the Strand Displacement Amplification (SDA) technique to address this limitation, proposing a strategy of novel programmable DNA tweezers-SDA ultrasensitive signal amplification fluorescence sensing . We specifically investigate the effectiveness of this approach concerning signal amplification for two critical mycotoxins: aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN). Results indicate that the detection ranges of AFB1 and ZEN via this strategy were 1–10,000 pg mL −1 and 10–100,000 pg mL −1 , respectively, with corresponding detection limits of 0.933 pg mL −1 and 1.07 pg mL −1 . Compared with the DNA tweezers direct detection method for mycotoxins, the newly constructed programmable DNA tweezers-SDA fluorescence sensing strategy achieved a remarkable 10 4 -fold increase in the detection sensitivity for AFB1 and ZEN. Significance The constructed programmable DNA tweezers-SDA ultrasensitive signal-amplified fluorescence sensing strategy exhibits excellent detection performance for mycotoxins. The superb versatility of this strategy allows the developed method to be easily used for detecting other analytes by simply replacing the aptamer and cDNA, which has incredible potential in various fields such as food safety screening, clinical diagnostics, and environmental analysis .
研究领域:
生物传感器
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纳米技术
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分析化学
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食品安全
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环境分析
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临床诊断
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
·
2020
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IF 7.1
Xiangli Shao,Longjiao Zhu,Yangzi Zhang,Zaihui Du,Chunyan Sun,Wentao Xu
Molecular logic gates possess great potential for multi-parameter sensing, intelligent diagnostics, and molecular computation. One remaining challenge was to construct novel new logic gates based on smart nanomaterials and functional nucleic acids. In this study, two novel new logic devices were constructed utilizing ion-tuned DNA/copper nanoclusters (CuNCs), which were dual-responsive to K + and H + . By merely altering the arrangement of a specific sequence of the DNA stabilizer, two kinds of well-designed DNA probes permuted by G-tracts, C-tracts, and poly-T were designed as the building blocks of the logic device. Poly-T acted as the template for the formation of CuNCs. G-tracts and C-tracts enabled a K + /H + -responsive conformational switch into G-quadruplex (G4) and i-motif structures. Such a conformational conversion significantly modulated the fluorescence behaviors of CuNCs. This study discovered the unique interaction between the logic device and graphene oxide (GO). The logic devices were implemented for the analysis of K + and microRNA.
研究领域:
纳米技术
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生物化学
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分子生物学
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生物医学工程
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DOI
高影响因子
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
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2022
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IF 8.008
Zizhong Yang,Birong Liu,Ting Huang,Bao-Ping Xie,Wen-Jun Duan,Min-Min Li,Jin-Xiang Chen,Jun Chen,Zong Dai
Sensitive and specific imaging of microRNA (miRNA) in living cells is of great value for disease diagnosis and monitoring. Hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and DNAzyme-based methods have been considered as powerful tools for miRNA detection, with low efficient intracellular delivery and limited amplification efficiency. Herein, we propose a Hairpins@MnO2 nanosystem for intracellular enzyme-free exponential amplification for miRNA imaging. The enzyme-free exponential amplification is based on the synergistic cross-activation between HCR and DNAzymes. The MnO2 nanosheets were employed as the carrier of three kinds of hairpin DNA probes and further provided appropriate Mn2+ as DNAzyme cofactors in the living cell. Upon entering cells and in the presence of highly expressed glutathione (GSH) in tumors, MnO2 is reduced to release Mn2+ and the three kinds of hairpin DNA probes. In the presence of target miRNA, the released hairpin DNA H1 and H2 probes self-assemble via HCR into the wire-shaped active Mn2+-based DNAzymes which further catalyze the cleavage of H3 to generate numerous new triggers to reversely stimulate HCR amplifiers, thus offering tremendously amplified Förster resonance energy transfer readout. The method has a detection limit of 33 fM, which is 2.4 × 104 times lower than that of the traditional HCR system. The developed method also has a high specificity; even miRNAs with a single base difference can be distinguished. Live cell imaging experiments confirmed that this Hairpins@MnO2 nanosystem allows accurate differentiation of miRNA expression of cancer cells and normal cells. The method holds great potential in biological research of nucleic acids.
研究领域:
生物化学
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分子生物学
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纳米技术
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癌症诊断
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Andrology
·
2024
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IF 3.2
Yumeng Liu,Qiwen Feng,Liping Zou,Changhong Zhu,Wei Xia
Background Oligoasthenozoospermia is a common cause of male infertility, for which effective treatments are urgently needed. Humanin (HN) is a peptide associated with this condition. Objectives To investigate the ameliorative effect of [Gly14]-Humanin (HNG) on oligoasthenozoospermia and the mechanisms. Materials and methods Mice were treated with cyclophosphamide (CP) to construct a mice model of oligoasthenozoospermia. The resulting model mice were treated with saline or HNG. Subsequently, the testis weights, organ indices, testicular structure, sperm counts and motilities, litter sizes, and serum testosterone concentrations of the mice were determined. Differential gene expression in testicular tissues was determined by RNA sequencing. TM3, TM4, GC1, and GC2 cells were exposed to erastin to induce ferroptosis, followed by treatment with HNG or HNG + ML385 (a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 inhibitor). Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and ferrous ions (Fe 2+ ) were determined and their expression of ferroptosis-related proteins was determined by immunofluorescence and western blot. Results The HNG treatment improved testis and sperm parameters and increased litter size and serum testosterone concentrations in model mice. Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant differential expression of ferroptosis-related genes. The expression of ferroptosis-related proteins increased in testicular tissues after the HNG treatment. The concentrations of ROS, MDA, and Fe 2+ decreased and the concentrations of GSH increased in testicular tissues and in TM3 and TM4 cells after HNG treatment. In vitro experiments confirmed that HNG activated the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/glutathione peroxidase 4 (Nrf2/GPX4) pathway. However, these effects of HNG were blocked by ML385 treatment. Discussion and conclusion HNG demonstrated a therapeutic effect on oligoasthenozoospermia in a mouse model by reducing oxidative stress and ferroptosis. In TM3 and TM4 cells, HNG attenuated cellular oxidative stress and inhibited ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway.
研究领域:
生殖生物学
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分子生物学
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药理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Chemical Neuroscience
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2021
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IF 4.418
Peng Wang,Xiaoxia Gao,Fang Zhao,Yao Gao,Kexin Wang,Jun-Sheng Tian,Zhenyu Li,Xue-Mei Qin
Depression has drawn increasing attention from the public around the world in recent years. Studies have shown that liver injury caused by chronic stress is relevant to depression and neurotransmitter changes. It is essential to clarify the relationship between neurotransmitter changes and hepatic gene expression in depression. In this study, we used the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model combined with UHPLC–MS to explore the changes of neurotransmitters in serum and hippocampus and to decipher the differential gene expression in the liver by using the RNA-Seq combined with multivariate statistical analysis. Compared with the control group, the levels of neurotransmitters including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), acetylcholine, glutamate (Glu), and dopamine (DA) in the hippocampus and 5-HT, norepinephrine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in serum were significantly changed in the CUMS rats. The results of liver transcriptomic analysis and correlation analysis showed that the Glu, DA, 5-HT, and GABA were impacted by 68 liver genes which were mainly enriched in three pathways including circadian rhythm, serotonergic synapse, and p53 signaling pathway. The expressive levels of clock genes and serotonergic synapse genes were validated by using q-PCR, and the diurnal rhythms of neurotransmitters were validated by in vivo hippocampus microdialysis. The CUMS stressors might cause phase advance of Glu and GABA by adjusting clock genes. The transcriptomic technique combined with correlation analysis and in vivo microdialysis could be used to discover comprehensive pathways of depression. It provides a new strategy for the rational assessment of the mechanism of disease.
研究领域:
神经科学
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药理学
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分子生物学
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转录组学
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行为科学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Functional Foods
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2021
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IF 4.451
Xiaoyan Su,Ming Zhao,Xinyu Fu,Xiaodan Ma,Wei Xu,Songhua Hu
Polysaccharides from Rubus chingii Hu fruits (RFPs) were extracted, purified, characterized and investigated for immunomodulatory activity. Results indicated that RFPs were heteropolysaccharides with molecular weight of 51.7 kDa and contained carbohydrate contents of 96.83%. RFPs with characteristic absorptive peaks of polysaccharide structure and α-configuration were composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, arabinose and fucose with a molecular ratio of 0.08:0.17:0.16:0.48:5.73:1.00:1.79:0.03. RFPs promoted splenocyte proliferation, NO release, cytokine production and intracellular Ca 2+ concentration. The mechanism underlying splenocyte activation by RFPs was elucidated by RNA-Seq, in which 2214 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 2030 GO terms and 92 KEGG pathways were identified. RFPs were further proved to induce a balanced Th1/Th2/Th17 response pattern through MAPK, NF-κB, Jak-STAT and Calcium signaling pathways in splenocytes. These findings provided a fundamental basis for the further application of RFPs as immunomodulators in food and medicine.
研究领域:
免疫学
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药理学
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分子生物学
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生物化学
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DOI
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY
·
2020
·Vol. 41
·期 8
·1275-1285
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IF 2.997
Shan Yi,Yan-ping Liu,Xun-ya Li,Xiao-yan Yuan,Ye Wang,Ying Cai,Yuan-di Lei,Lian Huang,Zhao-hui Zhang
Beryllium and its compounds are systemic toxicants that mainly accumulate in the lungs. As a regulator of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) were involved in some lung diseases. This study aimed to analyze the levels of some inflammatory cytokine and the differential expressions of miRNAs in human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) induced by beryllium sulfate (BeSO 4 ) and to further explore the biological functions of differentially expressed miRNAs. The profile of miRNAs in 16HBE cells was detected using the high-throughput sequencing between the control groups ( n = 3) and the 150 μmol/L of BeSO 4 -treated groups ( n = 3). Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs was performed, including the prediction of target genes, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to verify some damage-related miRNAs. We found that BeSO 4 can increase the levels of some inflammatory cytokine such as interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). And BeSO 4 altered miRNAs expression of 16HBE cells and a total of 179 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, including 88 upregulated miRNAs and 91 downregulated miRNAs. The target genes predicted by 28 dysregulated miRNAs were mainly involved in the transcription regulation, signal transduction, MAPK, and VEGF signaling pathway. The qRT-PCR verification results were consistent with the sequencing results. miRNA expression profiling in 16HBE cells exposed to BeSO 4 provides new insights into the toxicity mechanism of beryllium exposure.
研究领域:
毒理学
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分子生物学
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生物信息学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-19
·
IF 14.7
Xue Xiaoyu,Wu Xianming,Fan Yongheng,Han Shuyu,Zhang Haipeng,Sun Yuting,Yin Yanyun,Yin Man,Chen Bing,Sun Zheng,Zhao Shuaijing,Zhang Qi,Liu Weiyuan,Zhang Jiaojiao,Li Jiayin,Shi Ya,Xiao Zhifeng,Dai Jianwu,Zhao Yannan
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to fibrotic scar formation at the lesion site, yet the heterogeneity of fibrotic scar remains elusive. Here we show the heterogeneity in distribution, origin, and function of fibroblasts within fibrotic scars after SCI in mice and female monkeys. Utilizing lineage tracing and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we found that perivascular fibroblasts (PFs), and meningeal fibroblasts (MFs), rather than pericytes/vascular smooth cells (vSMCs), primarily contribute to fibrotic scar in both transection and crush SCI. Crabp2 + /Emb+ fibroblasts (CE-F) derived from meninges primarily localize in the central region of fibrotic scars, demonstrating enhanced cholesterol synthesis and secretion of type I collagen and fibronectin. In contrast, perivascular/pial Lama1 + /Lama2+ fibroblasts (LA-F) are predominantly found at the periphery of the lesion, expressing laminin and type IV collagen and functionally involved in angiogenesis and lipid transport. These findings may provide a comprehensive understanding for remodeling heterogeneous fibrotic scars after SCI.
研究领域:
神经科学
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细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Materials Chemistry B
·
2017
·Vol. 5
·期 34
·7133-7139
·
IF 4.543
Yike Fu,Tong Chen,Gang Wang,Tongxu Gu,Congkun Xie,Jie Huang,Xiang Li,Serena Best,Gaorong Han
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in regulating gene expression but can be associated with abnormalities linked to carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Hence there is increasing interest in developing methods to detect these non-coding RNA molecules in the human circulation system. Here, a novel FRET miRNA-195 targeting biosensor, based on silica nanofibers incorporated with rare earth-doped calcium fluoride particles (CaF2:Yb,Ho@SiO2) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), is reported. The formation of a sandwich structure, as a result of co-hybridization of the target miRNA which is captured by oligonucleotides conjugated at the surface of CaF2:Yb,Ho@SiO2 fibers and AuNPs, brings the nanofibers and AuNPs in close proximity and triggers the FRET effect. The intensity ratio of green to red emission, I541/I650, was found to decrease linearly upon increasing the concentration of the target miRNA and this can be utilized as a standard curve for quantitative determination of miRNA concentration. This assay offers a simple and convenient method for miRNA quantification, with the potential for rapid and early clinical diagnosis of diseases such as breast cancer.
研究领域:
生物传感器
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纳米技术
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分子生物学
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癌症研究
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分析化学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
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2017
·
IF 7.78
Shuzhen Yue,Tingting Zhao,Hongjie Qi,Yongcun Yan,Sai Bi
A toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD)-based cross-catalytic hairpin assembly (C-CHA) is demonstrated in this study, achieving exponential amplification of nucleic acids . Functionally, this system consists of four hairpins (H1, H2, H3 and H4) and one single-stranded initiator (I). Upon the introduction of I, the first CHA reaction (CHA1) is triggered, leading to the self-assembly of hybrid H1·H2 that then initiates the second CHA reaction (CHA2) to obtain the hybrid H3·H4. Since the single-stranded region in H3·H4 is identical to I, a new CHA1 is initiated, which thus achieves cross operation of CHA1 and CHA2 and exponential growth kinetics. Interestingly, because the C-CHA performs in a cascade manner, this system can be considered as multi-level molecular logic circuits with feedback mechanism. Moreover, through incorporating G-quadruplex subunits and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) in the product of H1·H2, this C-CHA is readily utilized to fabricate a chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) biosensing platform, achieving sensitive and selective detection of DNA and microRNA in real samples. Since the high background signal induced by FITC in the absence of initiator is greatly reduced through labeling quencher in H1, the signal-to-noise ratio and detection sensitivity are improved significantly. Therefore, our proposed C-CHA protocol holds a great potential for further applications in not only building complex autonomous systems but also the development of biosensing platforms and DNA nanotechnology.
研究领域:
分子生物学
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生物化学
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分析化学
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纳米技术
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生物医学工程
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
·
2024
·
IF 4.2
Zhenyuan Qian,Wenfa Lin,Xufan Cai,Jianzhang Wu,Kun Ke,Zaiyuan Ye,Fang Wu
Background Gastric cancer (GC) is regarded as a major health burden all over the world. WYC-209 inhibits the growth and metastasis of tumor-repopulating cells (TRCs). However, its effectiveness on GC was unexplored. Herein, this study aims to investigate the effect of WYC-209 on GC and elucidate its underlying mechanism. Methods We examined the effects of WYC-209 on cell survival, migration, invasion, and colony-forming capacities of two GC cell lines (AGS and HGC-27). Subsequently, RNA-seq and enrichment analyses were performed to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the enriched signaling pathways. To further explore the underlying mechanism, loss- and gain-function experiments, Chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter were conducted. Finally, xenograft models were constructed to examine the effects of WYC-209 in vivo . Results WYC-209 significantly inhibited cell motility in vitro and tumor growth in vivo . RNA-seq performed in AGS cells after WYC-209 treatment revealed that the inhibition effect of WYC-209 on GCs may be associated with the down-regulation of fibroblast growth factor-18 (FGF18), and pleasantly, FGF18 overexpression abrogated the suppression effect of the drug. In addition, we found that WYC-209 attenuated the activation of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, and impeded the FGF18 levels expressed in GCs. Importantly, the WYC-209 treatment circumvented the binding of STAT3 to the FGF18 promoter, suggested that WYC-209 down-regulated FGF18 expression via the STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusion Together, our findings presented the promise of WYC-209 in suppressing GC by down-regulating FGF18 expression through inactivating the STAT3 signaling pathway.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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癌症研究
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Discover Oncology
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-18
·
IF 2.8
Feng Rui,Li Haolin,Meng Tong,Fei Mingtian,Yang Cheng
Purpose This study aimed to construct an m6A and cuproptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) signature to accurately predict the prognosis of kidney clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) patients using the information acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Methods First, the co-expression analysis was performed to identify lncRNAs linked with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and cuproptosis in ccRCC. Then, a model encompassing four candidate lncRNAs was constructed via univariate, least absolute shrinkage together with selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate regression analyses. Furthermore, Kaplan–Meier, principal component, functional enrichment annotation, and nomogram analyses were performed to develop a risk model that could effectively assess medical outcomes for ccRCC cases. Moreover, the cellular function of NFE4 in Caki-1/OS-RC-2 cultures was elucidated through CCK-8/EdU assessments and Transwell experiments. Dataset outcomes indicated that NFE4 can have possible implications in m6A and cuproptosis, and may promote ccRCC progression. Results We constructed a panel of m6A and cuproptosis-related lncRNAs to construct a prognostic prediction model. The Kaplan–Meier and ROC curves showed that the feature had acceptable predictive validity in the TCGA training, test, and complete groups. Furthermore, the m6A and cuproptosis-related lncRNA model indicated higher diagnostic efficiency than other clinical features. Moreover, the NFE4 function analysis indicated a gene associated with m6A and cuproptosis-related lncRNAs in ccRCC. It was also revealed that the proliferation and migration of Caki-1 /OS-RC-2 cells were inhibited in the NFE4 knockdown group. Conclusion Overall, this study indicated that NFE4 and our constructed risk signature could predict outcomes and have potential clinical value.
研究领域:
生物信息学
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癌症生物学
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分子生物学
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基因组学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）