2. Academic Validation
  3. o8G-modified circPLCE1 inhibits lung cancer progression via chaperone-mediated autophagy

o8G-modified circPLCE1 inhibits lung cancer progression via chaperone-mediated autophagy

  • Mol Cancer. 2025 Mar 17;24(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s12943-025-02283-0.
Qingyun Zhao # 1 2,  Dunyu Cai # 1 2,  Haotian Xu # 1 2,  Yihong Gao 1 2,  Ruirui Zhang 1 2,  Xiaodong Zhou 1 2,  Xingcai Chen 1 2,  Sixian Chen 1 2,  Jiaxi Wu 1 2,  Wenyi Peng 1 2,  Shengyi Yuan 1 2,  Deqing Li 1 2,  Gang Li 3 4,  Aruo Nan 5 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
  • 2 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
  • 3 School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China. ligang@gxmu.edu.cn.
  • 4 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China. ligang@gxmu.edu.cn.
  • 5 School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China. nanaruo@163.com.
  • 6 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environment and Health Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China. nanaruo@163.com.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 40098195 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-025-02283-0
Abstract

Background: Lung Cancer poses a serious threat to human health, but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closely associated with tumour progression, and the important role of 8-oxoguanine (o8G) modification in regulating the fate of RNA has been gradually revealed. However, o8G modification of circRNAs has not been reported. We identified circPLCE1, which is significantly downregulated in lung Cancer, and further investigated the o8G modification of circPLCE1 and the related mechanism in lung Cancer progression.

Methods: We identified differentially expressed circRNAs by RNA high-throughput Sequencing and then conducted methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP), immunofluorescence (IF) analysis, crosslinking immunoprecipitation (CLIP) and actinomycin D (ActD) assays to explore circPLCE1 o8G modification. The biological functions of circPLCE1 in vivo and in vitro were clarified via establishing a circPLCE1 silencing/overexpression system. Tagged RNA affinity purification (TRAP), RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) and coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays, and pSIN-PAmCherry-KFERQ-NE reporter gene were used to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which circPLCE1 inhibits lung Cancer progression.

Results: This study revealed that Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) can induce circPLCE1 o8G modification and that AUF1 can mediate a decrease in circPLCE1 stability. We found that circPLCE1 significantly inhibited lung Cancer progression in vitro and in vivo and that its expression was associated with tumour stage and prognosis. The molecular mechanism was elucidated: circPLCE1 targets the HSC70 protein, increases its ubiquitination level, regulates ATG5-dependent macroautophagy via the chaperone-mediated Autophagy (CMA) pathway, and ultimately inhibits lung Cancer progression.

Conclusion: o8G-modified circPLCE1 inhibits lung Cancer progression through CMA to inhibit macroautophagy and alter cell fate. This study provides not only a new theoretical basis for elucidating the molecular mechanism of lung Cancer progression but also potential targets for lung Cancer treatment.

Keywords

CircRNA; HSC70; Lung cancer; Molecular chaperone-mediated autophagy; O8G modification.

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