Abstract
Alternative splicing of mRNA precursors allows cancer cells to create different protein isoforms that promote growth and survival. Compared to normal cells, cancer cells frequently exhibit a higher diversity of their transcriptomes. A comprehensive understanding of splicing regulation is required to correct the splicing alterations for the future precision oncology. A quantitative proteomic screen was performed to identify the regulators associated the metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer. Multiple in vitro and in vivo functional analyses were used to study the effects of NSrp70 on breast cancer metastasis. Next, transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-seq) and alternative splicing bioinformatics analysis was applied to screen the potential targets of NSrp70. Moreover, in vitro splicing assays, RNA pull-down, and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were used to confirm the specific binding between NSrp70 and downstream target genes. Furthermore, the prognostic value of NSrp70 was analyzed in a cohort of patients by performing IHC. We uncovered NSrp70 as a novel suppressor of breast cancer metastasis. We discovered that NSrp70 inhibited the skipped exon alternative splicing of NUMB, promoted the degradation of transforming growth factor receptor 1 through lysosome pathway, and regulated TGFβ/SMAD-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, high NSrp70 expression correlated with a better prognosis in breast cancer patients. Our findings revealed that splicing regulator NSrp70 serves as a metastasis suppressor.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China (81972727) and the Municipal Human Resources Development Program for Outstanding Leaders in Medical Disciplines in Shanghai (2017BR028). We gratefully acknowledge the help of professor Igor Vladimirovich Reshetov (I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation) for the support of clinical statistical analysis.
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WJ, Yang Z, and HS contributed to the study design. Yang Z, Yuanyuan Z, and QL contributed to the methodology. YL and YH performed statistical analysis and interpretation. Yang Z wrote the original draft. WJ and HS revised the manuscript. WJ supervised the study and provided financial support.
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Zhao, Y., Sun, H., Zhao, Y. et al. NSrp70 suppresses metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer by modulating Numb/TβR1/EMT axis. Oncogene 41, 3409–3422 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-022-02349-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-022-02349-z
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