Yaping Wu1, Pengfei Diao1, Zhongwu Li2, Wei Zhang3, Dongmiao Wang1,2, Yanling Wang1, Jie Cheng1. 1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. 2. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. 3. Department of Oral Pathology, School of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5), a core member of Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) and SET1 histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complexes, is involved in multiple biological and pathological processes. Its deregulation in cancer and pro-tumorigenic roles has been increasingly appreciated. However, the expression pattern of WDR5 and its biological functions in head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not been well established. METHODS: The expression of WDR5 mRNA in HNSCC was determined by data mining and interrogation using publicly available databases. Its protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry in a retrospective cohort of primary HNSCC samples. Moreover, the associations between WDR5 expression and various clinicopathological parameters and patient survival were assessed. The pro-tumorigenic roles of WDR5 in HNSCC were further delineated in vitro by loss-of-function assay. RESULTS: Our bioinformatics analyses revealed that WDR5 mRNA was significantly overexpressed in 3 HNSCC cohorts. WDR5 protein was markedly upregulated in HNSCC samples as compared to normal counterparts and its overexpression significantly associated with large tumor size, advanced clinical stage (chi-square test, P = .048, .006) and reduced overall and disease-free survival (Kaplan-Mier analyses, Log-rank test, P = .0137, .0154). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses further revealed WDR5 protein abundance as an independent prognostic factor for patients' overall survival. Moreover, WDR5 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in HNSCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that WDR5 is aberrantly overexpressed in HNSCC and associates with aggressiveness and unfavorable prognosis, thus representing a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HNSCC.
BACKGROUND:WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5), a core member of Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) and SET1 histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase complexes, is involved in multiple biological and pathological processes. Its deregulation in cancer and pro-tumorigenic roles has been increasingly appreciated. However, the expression pattern of WDR5 and its biological functions in head neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have not been well established. METHODS: The expression of WDR5 mRNA in HNSCC was determined by data mining and interrogation using publicly available databases. Its protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry in a retrospective cohort of primary HNSCC samples. Moreover, the associations between WDR5 expression and various clinicopathological parameters and patient survival were assessed. The pro-tumorigenic roles of WDR5 in HNSCC were further delineated in vitro by loss-of-function assay. RESULTS: Our bioinformatics analyses revealed that WDR5 mRNA was significantly overexpressed in 3 HNSCC cohorts. WDR5 protein was markedly upregulated in HNSCC samples as compared to normal counterparts and its overexpression significantly associated with large tumor size, advanced clinical stage (chi-square test, P = .048, .006) and reduced overall and disease-free survival (Kaplan-Mier analyses, Log-rank test, P = .0137, .0154). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses further revealed WDR5 protein abundance as an independent prognostic factor for patients' overall survival. Moreover, WDR5 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in HNSCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that WDR5 is aberrantly overexpressed in HNSCC and associates with aggressiveness and unfavorable prognosis, thus representing a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HNSCC.
Authors: Jianhua Tian; Kevin B Teuscher; Erin R Aho; Joseph R Alvarado; Jonathan J Mills; Kenneth M Meyers; Rocco D Gogliotti; Changho Han; Jonathan D Macdonald; Jiqing Sai; J Grace Shaw; John L Sensintaffar; Bin Zhao; Tyson A Rietz; Lance R Thomas; William G Payne; William J Moore; Gordon M Stott; Jumpei Kondo; Masahiro Inoue; Robert J Coffey; William P Tansey; Shaun R Stauffer; Taekyu Lee; Stephen W Fesik Journal: J Med Chem Date: 2020-01-07 Impact factor: 7.446
Authors: Audra F Bryan; Jing Wang; Gregory C Howard; Alissa D Guarnaccia; Chase M Woodley; Erin R Aho; Eric J Rellinger; Brittany K Matlock; David K Flaherty; Shelly L Lorey; Dai H Chung; Stephen W Fesik; Qi Liu; April M Weissmiller; William P Tansey Journal: Nucleic Acids Res Date: 2020-04-06 Impact factor: 16.971