A miR-375/YAP axis regulates neuroendocrine differentiation and tumorigenesis in lung carcinoid cells.

Abstract

Lung carcinoids are variably aggressive and mechanistically understudied neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). Here, we identified and elucidated the function of a miR-375/yes-associated protein (YAP) axis in lung carcinoid (H727) cells. miR-375 and YAP are respectively high and low expressed in wild-type H727 cells. Following lentiviral CRISPR/Cas9-mediated miR-375 depletion, we identified distinct transcriptomic changes including dramatic YAP upregulation. We also observed a significant decrease in neuroendocrine differentiation and substantial reductions in cell proliferation, transformation, and tumor growth in cell culture and xenograft mouse disease models. Similarly, YAP overexpression resulted in distinct and partially overlapping transcriptomic changes, phenocopying the effects of miR-375 depletion in the same models as above. Transient YAP knockdown in miR-375-depleted cells reversed the effects of miR-375 on neuroendocrine differentiation and cell proliferation. Pathways analysis and confirmatory real-time PCR studies of shared dysregulated target genes indicate that this axis controls neuroendocrine related functions such as neural differentiation, exocytosis, and secretion. Taken together, we provide compelling evidence that a miR-375/YAP axis is a critical mediator of neuroendocrine differentiation and tumorigenesis in lung carcinoid cells.

• Authors: Xiaojing Yang, Jina Nanayakkara, Duncan Claypool, Sadegh Saghafinia, Justin J M Wong, Minqi Xu, Xiantao Wang, Christopher J B Nicol, Iacovos P Michael, Markus Hafner, Xiaolong Yang, Neil Renwick
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 11 Issue 1 Pg. 10455 (05 17 2021) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 34001972 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
• MIRN375 microRNA, human
• MicroRNAs
• Transcription Factors
• YAP-Signaling Proteins
• YAP1 protein, human

Topics

• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing (genetics, metabolism)
• Animals
• Carcinogenesis (genetics)
• Carcinoid Tumor (genetics, pathology)
• Cell Differentiation (genetics)
• Cell Proliferation (genetics)
• Exocytosis (genetics)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Gene Knockdown Techniques
• HEK293 Cells
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (genetics, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Knockout
• MicroRNAs (genetics, metabolism)
• Neuroendocrine Cells (pathology)
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
• YAP-Signaling Proteins