1. Academic Validation
  2. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion enhancer of MECOM play a tumor suppressor role in ovarian cancer

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion enhancer of MECOM play a tumor suppressor role in ovarian cancer

  • Funct Integr Genomics. 2024 Jul 12;24(4):125. doi: 10.1007/s10142-024-01399-8.
Yujie Chen # 1 Qiuwen Jiang # 1 Yingzhuo Xue 1 Weiguan Chen 2 Minhui Hua 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, China.
  • 2 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first People's Hospital of Nantong, No. 666 Shengli Road, Nantong, 226001, China.
  • 3 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20 Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, China. minghui_hua@hotmail.com.
  • # Contributed equally.
Abstract

MDS1 and EVI1 complex locus (MECOM), a transcription factor encoding several variants, has been implicated in progression of ovarian Cancer. The function of regulatory regions in regulating MECOM expression in ovarian Cancer is not fully understood. In this study, MECOM expression was evaluated in ovarian Cancer cell lines treated with bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) inhibitor JQ-1. Oncogenic phenotypes were assayed using assays of CCK-8, colony formation, wound-healing and transwell. Oncogenic phenotypes were estimated in stable sgRNA-transfected OVCAR3 cell lines. Xenograft mouse model was assayed via subcutaneous injection of enhancer-deleted OVCAR3 cell lines. The results displayed that expression of MECOM is downregulated in cell lines treated with JQ-1. Data from published ChIP-sequencing (H3K27Ac) in 3 ovarian Cancer cell lines displayed a potential enhancer around the first exon. mRNA and protein expression were downregulated in OVCAR3 cells after deletion of the MECOM enhancer. Similarly, oncogenic phenotypes both in cells and in the xenograft mouse model were significantly attenuated. This study demonstrates that JQ-1 can inhibit the expression of MECOM and tumorigenesis. Deletion of the enhancer activity of MECOM has an indispensable role in inhibiting ovarian Cancer progress, which sheds light on a promising opportunity for ovarian Cancer treatment through the application of this non-coding DNA deletion.

Keywords

MECOM; CRISPR-Cas9; Enhancer; ovarian cancer; transcriptional regulation.

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