Abstract Background Spermatogenesis associated serine rich 2 like (SPATS2L) was highly expressed in homoharringtonine (HHT) resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines. However, its role is little known in AML. The present study aimed to investigate the function of SPATS2L in AML pathogenesis and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods Overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), relapse-free survival (RFS) were used to evaluate the prognostic impact of SPATS2L for AML from TCGA database and ourcohort. ShRNA was used to knockdown the expression of SPATS2L. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. The changes of proteins were assessed by Western blot(WB). A xenotransplantation mice model was used to evaluate in vivo growth and survival. RNA sequencing was performed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of SPATS2L in AML. Results SPATS2L expression increased with increasing resistance indexes(RI) in HHT-resistant cell lines we had constructed. Higher SPATS2L expression was observed in intermediate/high-risk patients than in favorable patients. Meanwhile, decreased SPATS2L expression was observed in AML patients achieving complete remission (CR). Multivariate analysis showed high SPATS2L expression was an independent poor predictor of OS, EFS, RFS in AML. SPATS2L knock down (KD) suppressed cell growth, induced apoptosis, and suppressed key proteins of JAK/STAT pathway, such as JAK2, STAT3, STAT5 in AML cells. Inhibiting SPATS2L expression markedly enhanced the pro-apoptotic effects of traditional chemotherapeutics (Ara-c, IDA, and HHT). Conclusions High expression of SPATS2L is a poor prognostic factor in AML, and targeting SPATS2L may be a promising therapeutic strategy for AML patients.
Objective: Cyclic-AMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) is a proto-oncogenic transcription factor. The authors' previous reports showed that blocking the CREB binding site at Ser 133 inhibited the expression of target genes, which related to the progression of some tumors. In this study, the authors investigated the role of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) at Ser133 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) growth and metastases.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common neoplasm of the kidney in adults, accounting for ~3% of adult malignancies. Understanding the underlying mechanism of RCC tumorigenesis is necessary to improve patient survival. The present study revealed that Taxol‑induced microtubule (MT) polymerization causes cell cycle arrest and an increase in guanosine triphosphate‑Ras homology gene family, member A (GTP‑RhoA) protein expression. Disruption of Taxol‑induced MT polymerization reversed GTP‑RhoA expression and cell cycle arrest. The localization and redistribution of MTs and RhoA were consistent in cells with MT bundles and those without. Decreased GTP‑RhoA had no marked effect on Taxol‑induced MT bundling, however, it reduced the proportion of cells in G2/M phase. Taken together, Taxol‑induced MT polymerization regulated the protein expression levels of GTP‑RhoA and cell cycle arrest. However, the alteration in GTP‑RhoA expression did not influence MT arrangement, suggesting that GTP‑RhoA serves a pivotal role in Taxol‑induced MT polymerization and cell cycle arrest in RCC.