{"title":"SNORA37/CMTR1/ELAVL1 feedback loop drives gastric cancer progression via facilitating CD44 alternative splicing.","authors":"Banghe Bao, Minxiu Tian, Xiaojing Wang, Chunhui Yang, Jiaying Qu, Shunchen Zhou, Yang Cheng, Qiangsong Tong, Liduan Zheng","doi":"10.1186/s13046-025-03278-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Emerging evidence shows that small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), a type of highly conserved non-coding RNA, is involved in tumorigenesis and aggressiveness. However, the roles of snoRNAs in regulating alternative splicing crucial for cancer progression remain elusive.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>High-throughput RNA sequencing and comprehensive analysis were performed to identify crucial snoRNAs and downstream alternative splicing events. Biotin-labeled RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry, cross-linking RNA immunoprecipitation, and in vitro binding assays were applied to explore interaction of snoRNAs with protein partners. Alternative splicing and gene expression was observed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and western blot assays. In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate biological effects of snoRNAs and their protein partners in gastric cancer. Survival analysis was undertaken by using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>SNORA37 was identified as an up-regulated snoRNA essential for tumorigenesis and aggressiveness of gastric cancer. Gain- and loss-of-function studies indicated that SNORA37 promoted the growth, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, as an ELAV like RNA binding protein 1 (ELAVL1)-generated snoRNA, SNORA37 directly bound to cap methyltransferase 1 (CMTR1) to facilitate its interaction with ELAVL1, resulting in nuclear retention and activity of ELAVL1 in regulating alternative splicing of CD44. Rescue studies revealed that SNORA37 exerted oncogenic roles in gastric cancer progression via facilitating CMTR1-ELAVL1 interaction. In clinical gastric cancer cases, high levels of SNORA37, CMTR1, ELAVL1, or CD44 were associated with shorter survival and poor outcomes of patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results indicated that SNORA37/CMTR1/ELAVL1 feedback loop drives gastric cancer progression via facilitating CD44 alternative splicing.</p>","PeriodicalId":50199,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research","volume":"44 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":11.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11737211/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-025-03278-x","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Emerging evidence shows that small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), a type of highly conserved non-coding RNA, is involved in tumorigenesis and aggressiveness. However, the roles of snoRNAs in regulating alternative splicing crucial for cancer progression remain elusive.
Methods: High-throughput RNA sequencing and comprehensive analysis were performed to identify crucial snoRNAs and downstream alternative splicing events. Biotin-labeled RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry, cross-linking RNA immunoprecipitation, and in vitro binding assays were applied to explore interaction of snoRNAs with protein partners. Alternative splicing and gene expression was observed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and western blot assays. In vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate biological effects of snoRNAs and their protein partners in gastric cancer. Survival analysis was undertaken by using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.
Results: SNORA37 was identified as an up-regulated snoRNA essential for tumorigenesis and aggressiveness of gastric cancer. Gain- and loss-of-function studies indicated that SNORA37 promoted the growth, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, as an ELAV like RNA binding protein 1 (ELAVL1)-generated snoRNA, SNORA37 directly bound to cap methyltransferase 1 (CMTR1) to facilitate its interaction with ELAVL1, resulting in nuclear retention and activity of ELAVL1 in regulating alternative splicing of CD44. Rescue studies revealed that SNORA37 exerted oncogenic roles in gastric cancer progression via facilitating CMTR1-ELAVL1 interaction. In clinical gastric cancer cases, high levels of SNORA37, CMTR1, ELAVL1, or CD44 were associated with shorter survival and poor outcomes of patients.
Conclusions: These results indicated that SNORA37/CMTR1/ELAVL1 feedback loop drives gastric cancer progression via facilitating CD44 alternative splicing.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research is an esteemed peer-reviewed publication that focuses on cancer research, encompassing everything from fundamental discoveries to practical applications.
We welcome submissions that showcase groundbreaking advancements in the field of cancer research, especially those that bridge the gap between laboratory findings and clinical implementation. Our goal is to foster a deeper understanding of cancer, improve prevention and detection strategies, facilitate accurate diagnosis, and enhance treatment options.
We are particularly interested in manuscripts that shed light on the mechanisms behind the development and progression of cancer, including metastasis. Additionally, we encourage submissions that explore molecular alterations or biomarkers that can help predict the efficacy of different treatments or identify drug resistance. Translational research related to targeted therapies, personalized medicine, tumor immunotherapy, and innovative approaches applicable to clinical investigations are also of great interest to us.
We provide a platform for the dissemination of large-scale molecular characterizations of human tumors and encourage researchers to share their insights, discoveries, and methodologies with the wider scientific community.
By publishing high-quality research articles, reviews, and commentaries, the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research strives to contribute to the continuous improvement of cancer care and make a meaningful impact on patients' lives.