Qian Zhang, Jin Man, Tianhe Zhao, Donglei Sun, Zunzhen Zhang
{"title":"YTHDF2 promotes arsenic-induced malignant phenotypes by degrading PIDD1 mRNA in human keratinocytes","authors":"Qian Zhang, Jin Man, Tianhe Zhao, Donglei Sun, Zunzhen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.cbi.2024.111352","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arsenic is a widespread environmental carcinogen, and its carcinogenic mechanism has been the focus of toxicology. N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A) binding protein YTH domain family protein 2 (YTHDF2) performs various biological functions by degrading m<sup>6</sup>A-modified mRNAs. However, the m<sup>6</sup>A-modified target mRNA of YTHDF2 in regulating arsenic carcinogenesis remains largely unknown. To explore the effect of YTHDF2 in regulating arsenic carcinogenicity, we exposed the human keratinocyte HaCaT cells to 1 μM sodium arsenite for 50 generations to create a cell model of arsenic carcinogenesis (HaCaT-T). Our results demonstrated that YTHDF2 protein levels were higher in HaCaT-T cells than HaCaT cells, and knockdown of YTHDF2 significantly inhibited arsenic-induced malignant phenotypes. In addition, m<sup>6</sup>A levels in HaCaT-T cells were remarkably elevated, accompanied by abnormal expression of m<sup>6</sup>A methyltransferases and m<sup>6</sup>A demethylases. Mechanistically, YTHDF2 bound to p53-induced death domain protein 1 (PIDD1) mRNA in an m<sup>6</sup>A-dependent manner, thereby promoting the degradation of PIDD1 mRNA. Moreover, the decay of PIDD1 mRNA inhibited the formation of PIDDosome complex that is essential for activating the apoptosis initiator caspase-2, leading to a decrease in caspase-2-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis and subsequently promoting the malignant phenotypes of HaCaT-T cells. Collectively, our study reveals the role of YTHDF2 in arsenic-induced malignant phenotypes of human keratinocytes through direct interaction with PIDD1 mRNA in an m<sup>6</sup>A-dependent manner, which provides new insight into the precise mechanism underlying arsenic-induced skin cancer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":274,"journal":{"name":"Chemico-Biological Interactions","volume":"406 ","pages":"Article 111352"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chemico-Biological Interactions","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009279724004988","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Arsenic is a widespread environmental carcinogen, and its carcinogenic mechanism has been the focus of toxicology. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) binding protein YTH domain family protein 2 (YTHDF2) performs various biological functions by degrading m6A-modified mRNAs. However, the m6A-modified target mRNA of YTHDF2 in regulating arsenic carcinogenesis remains largely unknown. To explore the effect of YTHDF2 in regulating arsenic carcinogenicity, we exposed the human keratinocyte HaCaT cells to 1 μM sodium arsenite for 50 generations to create a cell model of arsenic carcinogenesis (HaCaT-T). Our results demonstrated that YTHDF2 protein levels were higher in HaCaT-T cells than HaCaT cells, and knockdown of YTHDF2 significantly inhibited arsenic-induced malignant phenotypes. In addition, m6A levels in HaCaT-T cells were remarkably elevated, accompanied by abnormal expression of m6A methyltransferases and m6A demethylases. Mechanistically, YTHDF2 bound to p53-induced death domain protein 1 (PIDD1) mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner, thereby promoting the degradation of PIDD1 mRNA. Moreover, the decay of PIDD1 mRNA inhibited the formation of PIDDosome complex that is essential for activating the apoptosis initiator caspase-2, leading to a decrease in caspase-2-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis and subsequently promoting the malignant phenotypes of HaCaT-T cells. Collectively, our study reveals the role of YTHDF2 in arsenic-induced malignant phenotypes of human keratinocytes through direct interaction with PIDD1 mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner, which provides new insight into the precise mechanism underlying arsenic-induced skin cancer.
期刊介绍:
Chemico-Biological Interactions publishes research reports and review articles that examine the molecular, cellular, and/or biochemical basis of toxicologically relevant outcomes. Special emphasis is placed on toxicological mechanisms associated with interactions between chemicals and biological systems. Outcomes may include all traditional endpoints caused by synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals, both in vivo and in vitro. Endpoints of interest include, but are not limited to carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, respiratory toxicology, neurotoxicology, reproductive and developmental toxicology, and immunotoxicology.