CEBPD

Gene Summary

Gene:CEBPD; CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta
Aliases: CELF, CRP3, C/EBP-delta, NF-IL6-beta
Location:8q11.21
Summary:The protein encoded by this intronless gene is a bZIP transcription factor which can bind as a homodimer to certain DNA regulatory regions. It can also form heterodimers with the related protein CEBP-alpha. The encoded protein is important in the regulation of genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses, and may be involved in the regulation of genes associated with activation and/or differentiation of macrophages. The cytogenetic location of this locus has been reported as both 8p11 and 8q11. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2010]
Databases:OMIM, HGNC, Ensembl, GeneCard, Gene
Protein:CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta
Source:NCBIAccessed: 31 August, 2019

Ontology:

What does this gene/protein do?
Show (5)

Cancer Overview

Research Indicators

Publications Per Year (1994-2019)
Graph generated 31 August 2019 using data from PubMed using criteria.

Literature Analysis

Mouse over the terms for more detail; many indicate links which you can click for dedicated pages about the topic.

  • src-Family Kinases
  • Binding Sites
  • Apoptosis
  • Up-Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Recurrence
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • DNA Sequence Analysis
  • Cancer Gene Expression Regulation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Virus Replication
  • User-Computer Interface
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Base Sequence
  • Young Adult
  • Transcription Factors
  • Signal Transduction
  • Cell Movement
  • Messenger RNA
  • Transcription
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Cell Proliferation
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Interleukin-6
  • Mutation
  • Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta
  • Breast Cancer
  • RTPCR
  • Western Blotting
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Neoplastic Cell Transformation
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta
  • Chromosome 8
  • Urinary System Cancers
  • Promoter Regions
Tag cloud generated 31 August, 2019 using data from PubMed, MeSH and CancerIndex

Specific Cancers (6)

Data table showing topics related to specific cancers and associated disorders. Scope includes mutations and abnormal protein expression.

Note: list is not exhaustive. Number of papers are based on searches of PubMed (click on topic title for arbitrary criteria used).

Latest Publications: CEBPD (cancer-related)

Liao C, Chen W, Wang J
MicroRNA-20a Regulates Glioma Cell Proliferation, Invasion, and Apoptosis by Targeting CUGBP Elav-Like Family Member 2.
World Neurosurg. 2019; 121:e519-e527 [PubMed] Related Publications
OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in tumor development and progression. miR-20a acts as an oncogene in many cancers; however, the underlying role of miR-20a in human glioma remains unknown.
METHODS: Glioma tissue samples were obtained from 32 patients with primary glioma who had undergone surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, China). Twenty-two normal brain tissue samples used as controls were obtained by internal decompression in patients who had undergone surgery for cerebral injury and cerebral hemorrhage at the same hospital.
RESULTS: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed upregulation of miR-20a in glioma tissues and cell lines compared with normal brain tissue and normal human astrocytes. Functional assays showed that miR-20a promotes proliferation and invasion and inhibits apoptosis in glioma cells. The bioinformatic analysis showed that CELF2 (CUGBP Elav-like family member 2) is a direct target gene of miR-20a, which was confirmed using a luciferase reporter assay. Downregulation of CELF2 reversed the effects of inhibiting miR-20a expression.
CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these results suggest a critical role for miR-20a in glioma cell apoptosis, proliferation, and invasion via the direct targeting of CELF2 and indicate its potential application in cancer therapy.

Marchwicka A, Marcinkowska E
Regulation of Expression of CEBP Genes by Variably Expressed Vitamin D Receptor and Retinoic Acid Receptor α in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines.
Int J Mol Sci. 2018; 19(7) [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) are potent inducers of differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells. During myeloid differentiation specific transcription factors are expressed at crucial developmental stages. However, precise mechanism controlling the diversification of myeloid progenitors is largely unknown, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factors have been characterized as key regulators of the development and function of the myeloid system. Past data point at functional redundancy among C/EBP family members during myeloid differentiation. In this study, we show that in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, high expression of vitamin D receptor gene (

Linschoten M, Teske AJ, Cramer MJ, et al.
Chemotherapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction: A Systematic Review of Genetic Variants Modulating Individual Risk.
Circ Genom Precis Med. 2018; 11(1):e001753 [PubMed] Related Publications
Chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction is a significant side effect of anticancer treatment. Risk stratification is based on clinical- and treatment-related risk factors that do not adequately explain individual susceptibility. The addition of genetic variants may improve risk assessment. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Embase, to identify studies investigating genetic risk factors for chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction. Included were articles describing genetic variants in humans altering susceptibility to chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction. The validity of identified studies was assessed by 10 criteria, including assessment of population stratification, statistical methodology, and replication of findings. We identified 40 studies: 34 exploring genetic risk factors for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (n=9678) and 6 studies related to trastuzumab-associated cardiotoxicity (n=642). The majority (35/40) of studies had a candidate gene approach, whereas 5 genome-wide association studies have been performed. We identified 25 genetic variants in 20 genes and 2 intergenic variants reported significant at least once. The overall validity of studies was limited, with small cohorts, failure to assess population ancestry and lack of replication. SNPs with the most robust evidence up to this point are

Wang J, Liu L, Sun Y, et al.
miR-615-3p promotes proliferation and migration and inhibits apoptosis through its potential target CELF2 in gastric cancer.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2018; 101:406-413 [PubMed] Related Publications
Gastric cancer incidence is relatively higher in China than that in developed countries; however, molecular mechanisms considering the initiation and progression of gastric cancer are still unclear. For decades, numerous microRNAs have been found to regulate a wide range of biological functions in gastric cancer. However, the oncogenic function of miR-615-3p in gastric cancer has not been reported to date. With the help of gene and microRNA chips in 10 patients, we were able to screen differential expressed genes and microRNAs compared with normal gastric tissues. After that, online bioinformatics analysis tools were used to predict microRNAs' potential targets. As a result, miR-615-3p and its potential target, CELF2, were selected for further experiments. QRT-PCR and western blot results indicated the aberrant high expression of miR-615-3p and low expression of CELF2 in gastric cancer both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, miR-615-3p expression correlated to T and M stage. Up regulation of miR-615-3p inhibited the apoptosis, promoted proliferation and migration and led to the down-regulation of CELF2. Meanwhile, down-regulation of miR-615-3p resulted in anti-tumor effects. Immunochemistry staining of CELF2 showed its association with T, N and M stage. In addition, overexpression of CELF2 could reverse miR-615-3p's oncogenic functions stated before. These findings indicate that miR-615-3p promotes gastric cancer proliferation and migration by suppressing CELF2 expression for the first time, providing clues for future clinical practices.

Chu YY, Ko CY, Wang SM, et al.
Bortezomib-induced miRNAs direct epigenetic silencing of locus genes and trigger apoptosis in leukemia.
Cell Death Dis. 2017; 8(11):e3167 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to repress transcription via binding the 3'-untranslated regions of mRNAs. However, the involvement and details of miRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation, particularly in targeting genomic DNA and mediating epigenetic regulation, remain largely uninvestigated. In the present study, transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD) was responsive to the anticancer drug bortezomib, a clinical and highly selective drug for leukemia treatment, and contributed to bortezomib-induced cell death. Interestingly, following the identification of CEBPD-induced miRNAs, we found that miR-744, miR-3154 and miR-3162 could target CpG islands in the 5'-flanking region of the CEBPD gene. We previously demonstrated that the Yin Yang 1 (YY1)/polycomb group (PcG) protein/DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) complex is important for CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD) gene inactivation; we further found that Argonaute 2 (Ago2) interacts with YY1 and binds to the CEBPD promoter. The miRNA/Ago2/YY1/PcG group protein/DNMT complex linked the inactivation of CEBPD and genes adjacent to its 5'-flanking region, including protein kinase DNA-activated catalytic polypeptide (PRKDC), minichromosome maintenance-deficient 4 (MCM4) and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 variant 2 (UBE2V2), upon bortezomib treatment. Moreover, we revealed that miRNA binding is necessary for YY1/PcG group protein/DNMT complex-mediated epigenetic gene silencing and is associated with bortezomib-induced methylation on genomic DNA. The present study successfully characterized the interactions of the miRNA/Ago2/YY1/PcG group protein/DNMT complex and provided new insights for miRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation in bortezomib-induced leukemic cell arrest and cell death.

Kach J, Long TM, Selman P, et al.
Selective Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulators (SGRMs) Delay Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer Growth.
Mol Cancer Ther. 2017; 16(8):1680-1692 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and activity following androgen blockade can contribute to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progression. Therefore, we hypothesized that GR antagonism will have therapeutic benefit in CRPC. However, the FDA-approved nonselective, steroidal GR antagonist, mifepristone, lacks GR specificity, reducing its therapeutic potential. Here, we report that two novel nonsteroidal and highly selective GR modulators (SGRM), CORT118335 and CORT108297, have the ability to block GR activity in prostate cancer and slow CRPC progression. In contrast to mifepristone, these novel SGRMs did not affect androgen receptor (AR) signaling, but potently inhibited GR transcriptional activity. Importantly, SGRMs decreased GR-mediated tumor cell viability following AR blockade.

Tsai HH, Lai HY, Chen YC, et al.
Metformin promotes apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma through the CEBPD-induced autophagy pathway.
Oncotarget. 2017; 8(8):13832-13845 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Metformin, as an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, can activate autophagy. A study showed that metformin decreased the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in diabetic patients. However, the detailed mechanism in the metformin-mediated anticancer effect remains an open question. Transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD) has been suggested to serve as a tumor suppressor and is responsive to multiple anticancer drugs in HCC. In this study, we found that CEBPD and autophagy are involved in metformin-induced cell apoptosis in Huh7 cells. The underlying mechanisms in this process included a reduction in Src-mediated CEBPD protein degradation and an increase in CEBPD-regulated LC3B and ATG3 gene transcription under metformin treatment. We also found that AMPK is involved in metformin-induced CEBPD expression. Combined treatment with metformin and rapamycin can enhance autophagic cell death through the AMPK-dependent and AMPK-independent pathway, respectively. Taken together, we provide a new insight and therapeutic approach by targeting autophagy in the treatment of HCC.

Li WX, He K, Tang L, et al.
Comprehensive tissue-specific gene set enrichment analysis and transcription factor analysis of breast cancer by integrating 14 gene expression datasets.
Oncotarget. 2017; 8(4):6775-6786 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women. Several key genes and pathways have been proven to correlate with breast cancer pathology. This study sought to explore the differences in key transcription factors (TFs), transcriptional regulation networks and dysregulated pathways in different tissues in breast cancer. We employed 14 breast cancer datasets from NCBI-GEO and performed an integrated analysis in three different tissues including breast, blood and saliva. The results showed that there were eight genes (CEBPD, EGR1, EGR2, EGR3, FOS, FOSB, ID1 and NFIL3) down-regulated in breast tissue but up-regulated in blood tissue. Furthermore, we identified several unreported tissue-specific TFs that may contribute to breast cancer, including ATOH8, DMRT2, TBX15 and ZNF367. The dysregulation of these TFs damaged lipid metabolism, development, cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and metastasis processes. Among these pathways, the breast tissue showed the most serious impairment and the blood tissue showed a relatively moderate damage, whereas the saliva tissue was almost unaffected. This study could be helpful for future biomarker discovery, drug design, and therapeutic and predictive applications in breast cancers.

Lin SR, Yeh HC, Wang WJ, et al.
MiR-193b Mediates CEBPD-Induced Cisplatin Sensitization Through Targeting ETS1 and Cyclin D1 in Human Urothelial Carcinoma Cells.
J Cell Biochem. 2017; 118(6):1563-1573 [PubMed] Related Publications
Transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD) plays multiple roles in tumor progression. Studies have demonstrated that cisplatin (CDDP) induced CEBPD expression and had led to chemotherapeutic drug resistance. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of CDDP-regulated CEBPD expression and its relevant roles in CDDP responses remain elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. Abnormal miRNAs expression is associated with tumor progression. In current study, a large-scale PCR-based miRNA screening was performed to identify CEBPD-associated miRNAs in urothelial carcinoma cell line NTUB1. Eleven miRNAs were selected with more than twofold changes. MiR-193b-3p, a known tumor suppressor, down-regulated proto-oncogenes Cyclin D1, and ETS1 expression and led to cell cycle arrest, cell invasion, and migration inhibition. The expression of miR-193b-3p was associated with the DNA binding ability of CEBPD in CDDP response. CEBPD knocking-down approach provided a strong evidence of the positive correlation between CEBPD and miR-193b-3p. CDDP-induced CEBPD trans-activated miR-193b-3p expression and it directly targeted the 3'-UTR of Cyclin D1 and ETS1 mRNA, and silenced the protein expression. In addition, miR-193b-3p also inhibited cell migration activity, arrested cell at G1 phase, and sensitized NTUB1 to CDDP treatment. In conclusion, this study indicates that CEBPD exhibits an anti-tumorigenic function through transcriptionally activating miR-193b-3p expression upon CDDP treatment. This study provides a new direction for managing human urothelial carcinoma. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1563-1573, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wang WJ, Li CF, Chu YY, et al.
Inhibition of the EGFR/STAT3/CEBPD Axis Reverses Cisplatin Cross-resistance with Paclitaxel in the Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder.
Clin Cancer Res. 2017; 23(2):503-513 [PubMed] Related Publications
PURPOSE: Cisplatin (CDDP) is frequently used in combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel for treating urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder (UCUB). CDDP cross-resistance has been suggested to develop with paclitaxel, thus hindering successful UCUB treatment. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms underlying CDDP-induced anticancer drug resistance is imperative and may provide an insight in developing novel therapeutic strategy.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Loss-of-function assays were performed to elucidate the role of the EGFR and STAT3 in CDDP-induced CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD) expression in UCUB cells. Reporter and in vivo DNA-binding assays were employed to determine whether CEBPD directly regulates ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) and ATP binding cassette subfamily C member 2 (ABCC2) activation. Finally, a xenograft animal assay was used to examine the abilities of gefitinib and S3I-201 (a STAT3 inhibitor) to reverse CDDP and paclitaxel sensitivity.
RESULTS: CEBPD expression was maintained in postoperative chemotherapy patients, and this expression was induced by CDDP even in CDDP-resistant UCUB cells. Upon CDDP treatment, CEBPD activated ABCB1 and ABCC2. Furthermore, the EGFR/STAT3 pathway contributed to CDDP-induced CEBPD expression in UCUB cells. Gefitinib and S3I-201 treatment significantly reduced the expression of CEBPD and enhanced the sensitivity of CDDP-resistant UCUB cells to CDDP and paclitaxel.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed the risk of CEBPD activation in CDDP-resistant UCUB cells and suggested a therapeutic strategy for patients with UCUB or UCUB resisted to CDDP and paclitaxel by combination with either gefitinib or S3I-201. Clin Cancer Res; 23(2); 503-13. ©2016 AACR.

Mendoza-Villanueva D, Balamurugan K, Ali HR, et al.
The C/EBPδ protein is stabilized by estrogen receptor α activity, inhibits SNAI2 expression and associates with good prognosis in breast cancer.
Oncogene. 2016; 35(48):6166-6176 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Hypoxia and inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6, IL6) are strongly linked to cancer progression, and signal in part through the transcription factor Ccaat/enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ, CEBPD), which has been shown to promote mesenchymal features and malignant progression of glioblastoma. Here we report a different role for C/EBPδ in breast cancer. We found that the C/EBPδ protein is expressed in normal breast epithelial cells and in low-grade cancers. C/EBPδ protein (but not mRNA) expression correlates with estrogen receptor (ER+) and progesterone receptor (PGR) expression and longer progression-free survival of breast cancer patients. Specifically in ER+ breast cancers, CEBPD-but not the related CEBPB-mRNA in combination with IL6 correlated with lower risk of progression. Functional studies in cell lines showed that ERα promotes C/EBPδ expression at the level of protein stability by inhibition of the FBXW7 pathway. Furthermore, we found that C/EBPδ attenuates cell growth, motility and invasiveness by inhibiting expression of the SNAI2 (Slug) transcriptional repressor, which leads to expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor CDKN1A (p21

Xia L, Sun C, Li Q, et al.
CELF1 is Up-Regulated in Glioma and Promotes Glioma Cell Proliferation by Suppression of CDKN1B.
Int J Biol Sci. 2015; 11(11):1314-24 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: As a member of the CELF family, CELF1 (CUG-binding protein 1, CUGBP1) is involved in cardiac and embryonic development, skeletal muscle differentiation and mammary epithelial cell proliferation. CELF1 is also observed in many kinds of cancer and may play a great role in tumorigenesis and deterioration. However, the expression and mechanism of its function in human glioma remain unclear.
METHODS: We examined CELF1 expression in 62 glioma patients by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The association between the expression of CELF1 protein and clinicopathological characteristics was analysed using SPSS 17.0. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Small-interfering RNA was utilised to specifically knockdown CELF1 mRNA in U87 and U251 cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle and cell apoptosis were tested by Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry. The expression of cell cycle-related gene CDKN1B was investigated by Western blot. The interactions between CELF1 and CDKN1B were detected with immune co-precipitation. Subcutaneous tumour models were used to study the effect of CELF1 on the growth of glioma cells in vivo.
RESULTS: Our results showed that CELF1 protein was frequently up-regulated in human glioma tissues. The expression level of this protein was positively correlated with glioma World Health Organisation grade and inversely correlated with patient survival (P < 0.05). Knockdown of CELF1 inhibited the glioma cell cycle process and proliferation potential, possibly by down-regulating its target, CDKN1B protein.
CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that CELF1 may be a novel independent prognostic predictor of survival for glioma patients. It may promote glioma cell proliferation and cell cycle process during glioma carcinogenesis.

Li CF, Tsai HH, Ko CY, et al.
HMDB and 5-AzadC Combination Reverses Tumor Suppressor CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein Delta to Strengthen the Death of Liver Cancer Cells.
Mol Cancer Ther. 2015; 14(11):2623-33 [PubMed] Related Publications
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can arise from chronic inflammation due to viral infection, organ damage, drug toxicity, or alcohol abuse. Moreover, gene desensitization via aberrant CpG island methylation is a frequent epigenetic defect in HCC. However, the details of how inflammation is linked with epigenetic-mediated desensitization of tumor suppressor genes remains less investigated. In this study, we found that loss of CEBPD enhances the growth of liver cancer cells and is associated with the occurrence of liver cancers, as determined by the assessment of clinical specimens and in vivo animal models. Moreover, E2F1-regulated epigenetic axis attenuated CEBPD expression in liver cancer cells. CEBPD is responsive to the hydroxymethyldibenzoylmethane (HMDB)-induced p38/CREB pathway and plays an important role in the HMDB-induced apoptosis of cancer cells. Regarding depression of epigenetic effects to enhance HMDB-induced CEBPD expression, the combination of HMDB and 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AzadC) could enhance the death of liver cancer cells and reduce the tumor formation of Huh7 xenograft mice. In conclusion, these results suggest that CEBPD could be a useful diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in HCC. The results also reveal the therapeutic potential for low-dose 5-AzadC to enhance the HMDB-induced death of HCC cells.

Guo YM, Sun MX, Li J, et al.
Association of CELF2 polymorphism and the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in southern Chinese population.
Oncotarget. 2015; 6(29):27176-86 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with high metastatic potential and loco-regional recurrence. The overall survival of NPC has been limited from further improvement partly due to the lack of effective biomarker for accurate prognosis prediction and precise treatments. Here, in light of the implication of CELF gene family in cancer prognosis, we selected 112 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in six members of the family and tested their associations with the clinical outcomes in a discovery cohort of 717 NPC patients. Survival analyses under multivariate cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curve revealed five promising SNPs, which were further validated in another independent sample of 1,520 cases. Combined analysis revealed that SNP rs3740194 in CELF2 was significantly associated with the decreased risk of death with a Hazard ratio (HR) of 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58-0.82, codominant model). Moreover, rs3740194 also showed a significant association with superior metastasis-free survival (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.57-0.83, codominant model). Taken together, our findings suggested that genetic variant of rs3740194 in CELF2 gene might be a valuable predictor for NPC prognosis, and potentially useful in the personalized treatment of NPC.

Wang YH, Wu WJ, Wang WJ, et al.
CEBPD amplification and overexpression in urothelial carcinoma: a driver of tumor metastasis indicating adverse prognosis.
Oncotarget. 2015; 6(31):31069-84 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The molecular aberrations responsible for the progression of urothelial carcinoma (UC) remain largely obscure. To search candidate driver oncogenes in UC, we performed array-based genomic hybridization (aCGH) on 40 UBUC samples. Amplification of 8q11.21 was preferentially identified in patients who developed disease-specific death (53.8%) and distal metastasis (50.0%) but was barely detected in non-eventful cases (3.7% and 0%, respectively). In order to quantify the expression of candidate genes harbored in 8q11.21, laser-capture microdissection coupled with RT-PCR was performed on 32 of the 40 cases submitted to aCGH. With this, we identified CEBPD mRNA expression as most significantly associated with gains of 8q11.21, suggesting amplification-driven expression. By performing CEBPD-specific FISH and immunohistochemistry on 295 UBUCs, we confirmed CEBPD amplification (21.3%) and overexpression (29.8%) were strongly related to each other (p<0.001). Moreover, both were associated with adverse clinicopathologic features and worse outcomes. Furthermore, the clinical significance of CEBPD expression was also confirmed in an independent cohort comprised of 340 UCs from the upper urinary tract. Interestingly, CEBPD knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration and, most significantly, cell invasion ability in UC cells. The latter phenotype is attributed to downregulation of MMP2 as identified by RT2 Profiler PCR array. Moreover, expression of CEBPD significantly enhanced MMP2 expression and transcriptional activation by directly binding to its promoter region, as confirmed by promoter reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Conclusively, CEBPD amplification is a mechanism driving increased mRNA and protein expression that confers aggressiveness in UC through MMP2-mediated cell invasiveness.

Jang JH, Min KJ, Kim S, et al.
RU486 Induces Pro-Apoptotic Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Through the Induction of CHOP Expression by Enhancing C/EBPδ Expression in Human Renal Carcinoma Caki Cells.
J Cell Biochem. 2016; 117(2):361-9 [PubMed] Related Publications
RU486 (Mifepristone) is known as an antagonist of the progesterone receptor and glucocorticoid receptor. Here, we investigated the mechanism underlying anti-tumor activity of RU486 in renal carcinoma Caki cells. Treatment of Caki cells with RU486 was found to induce several signature ER stress markers; including ER stress-specific XBP1 splicing, and the up-regulation of glucose-regulated protein (GRP)-78 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) expression. RU486-induced expression of CHOP involves the putative C/EBPδ site within the CHOP promoter region. Using a combination of C/EBPδ cDNA transfection, the luciferase assay with a mutated C/EBPδ binding site and siRNA-mediated C/EBPδ knockdown, we found that the C/EBPδ site is required for RU486-mediated activation of the CHOP promoter. In addition, RU486-induced CHOP expression is down-regulated by inhibition of the p38 MAPK and JNK signaling pathways at the post-translational levels. RU486 dose-dependently induced apoptotic cell death in renal carcinoma cells. Suppression of CHOP expression by CHOP siRNA attenuated RU486-induced apoptosis. Taken together, RU486 induces pro-apoptotic ER stress through the induction of CHOP expression.

Fan B, Jiao BH, Fan FS, et al.
Downregulation of miR-95-3p inhibits proliferation, and invasion promoting apoptosis of glioma cells by targeting CELF2.
Int J Oncol. 2015; 47(3):1025-33 [PubMed] Related Publications
Gliomas are the most common and aggressive types of tumors in human brain, of which the prognosis remains dismal because of their biological behavior. The involvement of miRNAs in tumorigenesis of various kinds of cancers drives us to explore new miRNAs related to gliomas. We measured expression level of miR‑95‑3p by qRT-PCR in human glioma and non-neoplasm brain tissues and found that higher level of miR‑95‑3p in glioma tissues of higher grade. Biological functions of miR‑95‑3p on glioma cells were investigated by MTT assay, flow cytometry and transwell assay. We discovered the cell lines transfected with miR‑95‑3p ASO (antisense oligonucleotide) had retarded proliferation and invasion but enhanced apoptosis ability. We searched on-line tool Targetscan and selected CELF (CUGBP- and ETR-3-like family 2) as a putative target. Luciferase reporter was employed to confirm the binding sites in 3'UTR region of CELF2 for miR‑95‑3p. The correlation between expression of CELF2 and miR‑95‑3p was determined by western blotting and qRT-PCR both in cell lines and human samples. Results showed CELF2 was a direct target of miR‑95‑3p and expression levels of CELF2 and miR‑95‑3p were negatively correlated. Finally, CELF2 largely abrogated the effects of miR‑95‑3p on proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of glioma cells in rescue experiments, which verified the role of CELF2 in miR‑95‑3p regulating glioma biological behavior. In conclusion, our data suggest the expression level of miR‑95‑3p is positively related to glioma grade and downregulation of miR‑95‑3p affects proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of glioma cells by targeting CELF2. We identified miR‑95‑3p as a putative therapeutic target and CELF2 as a potential tumor suppressor.

Chi JY, Hsiao YW, Li CF, et al.
Targeting chemotherapy-induced PTX3 in tumor stroma to prevent the progression of drug-resistant cancers.
Oncotarget. 2015; 6(27):23987-4001 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The tumor microenvironment has been suggested to participate in tumorigenesis, but the nature of the communication between cancer cells and the microenvironment, especially in response to anticancer drugs, remains obscure. We determined that activation of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD) response to Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil in cancer-associated macrophages and fibroblasts contributed to the metastasis, invasion, acquired chemoresistance and stemness of cancer cells by in vitro and in vivo assays. Specifically, reporter and in vivo DNA binding assays were used to determine that Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a CEBPD responsive gene and serves a protumor role upon anticancer drug treatment. Finally, a PTX3 peptide inhibitor RI37 was developed and assessed the antitumor effects by in vivo assays. RI37 could function as a promising inhibitor for preventing cancer progression and the metastasis, invasion and progression of drug-resistant cancers. The identification of PTX3 provided a new insight in the interaction between host and tumor and the RI37 peptide showed a great opportunity to largely reduce the risk of invasion and metastasis of cancer and drug-resistant cancers.

Lv M, Wang L
Comprehensive analysis of genes, pathways, and TFs in nonsmoking Taiwan females with lung cancer.
Exp Lung Res. 2015; 41(2):74-83 [PubMed] Related Publications
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of lung cancer among nonsmoking Taiwan females.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: By using the GSE19804 microarray data accessible from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between nonsmoking female lung cancer patients and healthy controls (!logFC! >1.5 and p-value < 0.05). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) tool was utilized to build a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, followed by the construction of a transcriptional regulatory network based on Transcription factor (TRANSFAC) database.
RESULTS: As a result, 320 DEGs were identified between nonsmoking female patients with lung cancer and healthy controls. Pathway enrichment analysis showed significantly enriched pathways such as extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, both of which were enriched with genes COL11A1 (encoding collagen XI alpha-1 chain protein), COL1A1, cluster of differentiation 36(CD36). GO enrichment analysis found that DEGs were significantly related to chemotaxis, vasculature development and cell adhesion GO terms. IL-6 was the node of the PPI network. Critical transcription factors (TFs) including CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD) and Rel/NF-κB were also identified.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that ECM-receptor interaction, PPAR signaling pathways, and important biomolecules including COL11A1, COL1A1, CD36, IL-6, CEBPD, and Rel/NF-κB might be involved in lung cancer. This study might pave the way for the development and application of targeted therapeutics of lung cancer irrelevant to smoking.

Liu J, Li J, Li H, et al.
A comprehensive analysis of candidate genes and pathways in pancreatic cancer.
Tumour Biol. 2015; 36(3):1849-57 [PubMed] Related Publications
The study aimed to dissect the molecular mechanism of pancreatic cancer by a range of bioinformatics approaches. Three microarray datasets (GSE32676, GSE21654, and GSE14245) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with logarithm of fold change (|logFC|) >0.585 and p value <0.05 were identified between pancreatic cancer samples and normal controls. Transcription factors (TFs) were selected from the DEGs based on TRASFAC database. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed for the DEGs using The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (p value <0.05), followed by construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes software. Latent pathway identification analysis was applied to analyze the DEGs-related pathways crosstalk and the pathways with high weight value were included in the pathway crosstalk network using Cytoscape. Sixty-five DEGs were screened out. CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD), FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene B (FOSB), Stratifin (SFN), Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5), Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), and nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 3 (NR4A3) were important TFs. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was the hub node of the PPI network. DEGs were significantly enriched in NOD-like receptor signaling pathway which was primarily interacted with inflammation and immune related pathways (cytosolic DNA-sensing, hematopoietic cell lineage, intestinal immune network for IgA production and chemokine pathways). The study suggested CEBPD, FOSB, SFN, KLF5, PTX3, NR4A3, IL-6, and NOD-like receptor pathways were involved in pancreatic cancer.

Chen JC, Alvarez MJ, Talos F, et al.
Identification of causal genetic drivers of human disease through systems-level analysis of regulatory networks.
Cell. 2014; 159(2):402-14 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Identification of driver mutations in human diseases is often limited by cohort size and availability of appropriate statistical models. We propose a framework for the systematic discovery of genetic alterations that are causal determinants of disease, by prioritizing genes upstream of functional disease drivers, within regulatory networks inferred de novo from experimental data. We tested this framework by identifying the genetic determinants of the mesenchymal subtype of glioblastoma. Our analysis uncovered KLHL9 deletions as upstream activators of two previously established master regulators of the subtype, C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ. Rescue of KLHL9 expression induced proteasomal degradation of C/EBP proteins, abrogated the mesenchymal signature, and reduced tumor viability in vitro and in vivo. Deletions of KLHL9 were confirmed in > 50% of mesenchymal cases in an independent cohort, thus representing the most frequent genetic determinant of the subtype. The method generalized to study other human diseases, including breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Wang L, Ye X, Liu Y, et al.
Aberrant regulation of FBW7 in cancer.
Oncotarget. 2014; 5(8):2000-15 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
FBW7 (F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7) or Fbxw7 is a tumor suppressor, which promotes the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of numerous oncoproteins including Mcl-1, Cyclin E, Notch, c- Jun, and c-Myc. In turn, FBW7 is regulated by multiple upstream factors including p53, C/EBP-δ, EBP2, Pin1, Hes-5 and Numb4 as well as by microRNAs such as miR-223, miR-27a, miR-25, and miR-129-5p. Given that the Fbw7 tumor suppressor is frequently inactivated or deleted in various human cancers, targeting FBW7 regulators is a promising anti-cancer therapeutic strategy.

Musialik E, Bujko M, Kober P, et al.
Comparison of promoter DNA methylation and expression levels of genes encoding CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins in AML patients.
Leuk Res. 2014; 38(7):850-6 [PubMed] Related Publications
CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (CEBPs) are transcription factors regulating myeloid differentiation. Disturbances of their expression may contribute to leukemogenesis. In this study we compared promoter methylation and expression levels of selected CEBP genes in a group of 78 AML patients, normal bone marrow and hematopoietic precursor cells. CEBPA, CEBPD and CEBPE promoter methylation levels were elevated in 37%, 35.5% and 56.7% of patients. No CEBPZ(DDIT3) methylation was observed. An inverse relationship between CEBPA and CEBPD DNA methylation and expression levels was observed. AML cytogenetic risk groups and patients with particular translocation are characterized by distinct methylation/expression profile of CEBPs encoding genes.

Chuang CH, Wang WJ, Li CF, et al.
The combination of the prodrugs perforin-CEBPD and perforin-granzyme B efficiently enhances the activation of caspase signaling and kills prostate cancer.
Cell Death Dis. 2014; 5:e1220 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The survival of prostate cancer (PrCa) patients is associated with the transition to hormone-independent tumor growth and metastasis. Clinically, the dysregulation of androgen action has been associated with the formation of PrCa and the outcome of androgen deprivation therapy in PrCa. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD) is a transcription factor that has been reported to act as an oncogene or tumor suppressor, depending on the extra- and intracellular environments following tumorigenesis. We found that androgen can activate CEBPD transcription by direct binding of the androgen receptor (AR) to the CEBPD promoter region. Increases of suppressor of zeste 12 (SUZ12) and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) attenuated the androgen-induced transcription of CEBPD. Importantly, the increases in E2F1, SUZ12 and EZH2 as well as the inactivation of CEBPD were associated with the clinicopathological variables and survival of PrCa patients. We revealed that caspase 8 (CASP8), an apoptotic initiator, is responsive to CEBPD induction. Reporter and in vivo DNA-binding assays revealed that CEBPD directly binds to and activates CASP8 reporter activity. A prodrug system was developed for therapeutic application in AR-independent or androgen-insensitive PrCa to avoid the epigenetic effects on the suppression of CEBPD expression. Our results showed that the combination of a perforin (PF)-CEBPD prodrug (which increases the level of procaspase-8) and a PF-granzyme B prodrug (which activates CASP8 and caspase 3 (CASP3)) showed an additive effect in triggering the apoptotic pathway and enhancing apoptosis in PrCa cells.

Balamurugan K, Sterneck E
The many faces of C/EBPδ and their relevance for inflammation and cancer.
Int J Biol Sci. 2013; 9(9):917-33 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD, C/EBPδ) is a transcription factor that modulates many biological processes including cell differentiation, motility, growth arrest, proliferation, and cell death. The diversity of C/EBPδ's functions depends in part on the cell type and cellular context and can have opposing outcomes. For example, C/EBPδ promotes inflammatory signaling, but it can also inhibit pro-inflammatory pathways, and in a mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis, C/EBPδ reduces tumor incidence but promotes tumor metastasis. This review highlights the multifaceted nature of C/EBPδ's functions, with an emphasis on pathways that are relevant for cancer and inflammation, and illustrates how C/EBPδ emerged from the shadow of its family members as a fascinating "jack of all trades." Our current knowledge on C/EBPδ indicates that, rather than being essential for a specific cellular process, C/EBPδ helps to interpret a variety of cues in a cell-type and context-dependent manner, to adjust cellular functions to specific situations. Therefore, insights into the roles and mechanisms of C/EBPδ signaling can lead to a better understanding of how the integration of different signaling pathways dictates normal and pathological cell functions and physiology.

Kandilci A, Surtel J, Janke L, et al.
Mapping of MN1 sequences necessary for myeloid transformation.
PLoS One. 2013; 8(4):e61706 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The MN1 oncogene is deregulated in human acute myeloid leukemia and its overexpression induces proliferation and represses myeloid differentiation of primitive human and mouse hematopoietic cells, leading to myeloid leukemia in mouse models. To delineate the sequences within MN1 necessary for MN1-induced leukemia, we tested the transforming capacity of in-frame deletion mutants, using retroviral transduction of mouse bone marrow. We found that integrity of the regions between amino acids 12 to 458 and 1119 to 1273 are required for MN1's in vivo transforming activity, generating myeloid leukemia with some mutants also producing T-cell lympho-leukemia and megakaryocytic leukemia. Although both full length MN1 and a mutant that lacks the residues between 12-228 (Δ12-228 mutant) repressed myeloid differentiation and increased myeloproliferative activity in vitro, the mutant lost its transforming activity in vivo. Both MN1 and Δ12-228 increased the frequency of common myeloid progentiors (CMP) in vitro and microarray comparisons of purified MN1-CMP and Δ12-228-CMP cells showed many differentially expressed genes including Hoxa9, Meis1, Myb, Runx2, Cebpa, Cebpb and Cebpd. This collection of immediate MN1-responsive candidate genes distinguishes the leukemic activity from the in vitro myeloproliferative capacity of this oncoprotein.

Brueckner LM, Hess EM, Schwab M, Savelyeva L
Instability at the FRA8I common fragile site disrupts the genomic integrity of the KIAA0146, CEBPD and PRKDC genes in colorectal cancer.
Cancer Lett. 2013; 336(1):85-95 [PubMed] Related Publications
Specific patterns of genomic aberrations have been associated with different types of malignancies. In colorectal cancer, losses of chromosome arm 8p and gains of chromosome arm 8q are among the most common chromosomal rearrangements, suggesting that the centromeric portion of chromosome 8 is particularly sensitive to breakage. Genomic alterations frequently occur in the early stages of tumorigenesis at specific genomic regions known as common fragile sites (cFSs). CFSs represent parts of the normal chromosome structure that are prone to breakage under replication stress. In this study, we identified the genomic location of FRA8I, spanning 530 kb at 8q11.21 and assessed the composition of the fragile DNA sequence. FRA8I encompasses KIAA0146, a large protein-coding gene with yet unknown function, as well as CEBPD and part of PRKDC, two genes encoding proteins involved in tumorigenesis in a variety of cancers. We show that FRA8I is unstable in lymphocytes and epithelial cells, displaying similar expression rates. We examined copy number alteration patterns within FRA8I in a panel of 25 colorectal cancer cell lines and surveyed publically available profiles of 56 additional colorectal cancer cell lines. Combining these data shows that focal recombination events disrupt the genomic integrity of KIAA0146 and neighboring cFS genes in 12.3% of colorectal cancer cell lines. Moreover, data analysis revealed evidence that KIAA0146 is a translocation partner of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene in recurrent t(8;14)(q11;q32) translocations in a subset of patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Our data molecularly describe a region of enhanced chromosomal instability in the human genome and point to a role of the KIAA0146 gene in tumorigenesis.

Fleming VA, Geng C, Ladd AN, Lou H
Alternative splicing of the neurofibromatosis type 1 pre-mRNA is regulated by the muscleblind-like proteins and the CUG-BP and ELAV-like factors.
BMC Mol Biol. 2012; 13:35 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Alternative splicing is often subjected to complex regulatory control that involves many protein factors and cis-acting RNA sequence elements. One major challenge is to identify all of the protein players and define how they control alternative expression of a particular exon in a combinatorial manner. The Muscleblind-like (MBNL) and CUG-BP and ELAV-Like family (CELF) proteins are splicing regulatory proteins, which function as antagonists in the regulation of several alternative exons. Currently only a limited number of common targets of MBNL and CELF are known that are antagonistically regulated by these two groups of proteins.
RESULTS: Recently, we identified neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) exon 23a as a novel target of negative regulation by CELF proteins. Here we report that MBNL family members are positive regulators of this exon. Overexpression of MBNL proteins promote exon 23a inclusion in a low MBNL-expressing cell line, and simultaneous siRNA-mediated knockdown of MBNL1 and MBNL2 family members in a high MBNL-expressing cell line promotes exon 23a skipping. Importantly, these two groups of proteins antagonize each other in regulating inclusion of exon 23a. Furthermore, we analyzed the binding sites of these proteins in the intronic sequences upstream of exon 23a by UV cross-linking assays. We show that in vitro, in addition to the previously identified preferred binding sequence UGCUGU, the MBNL proteins need the neighboring sequences for optimal binding.
CONCLUSION: This study along with our previous work that demonstrated roles for Hu, CELF, and TIA-1 and TIAR proteins in the regulation of NF1 exon 23a establish that this exon is under tight, complex control.

Tong Y, Zheng Y, Zhou J, et al.
Genomic characterization of human and rat prolactinomas.
Endocrinology. 2012; 153(8):3679-91 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Although prolactinomas can be effectively treated with dopamine agonists, about 20% of patients develop dopamine resistance or tumor recurrence after surgery, indicating a need for better understanding of underlying disease mechanisms. Although estrogen-induced rat prolactinomas have been widely used to investigate the development of this tumor, the extent that the model recapitulates features of human prolactinomas is unclear. To prioritize candidate genes and gene sets regulating human and rat prolactinomas, microarray results derived from human prolactinomas and pituitaries of estrogen-treated ACI rats were integrated and analyzed. A total of 4545 differentially expressed pituitary genes were identified in estrogen-treated ACI rats [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.01]. By comparing pituitary microarray results derived from estrogen-treated Brown Norway rats (a strain not sensitive to estrogen), 4073 genes were shown specific to estrogen-treated ACI rats. Human prolactinomas exhibited 1177 differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05). Combining microarray data derived from human prolactinoma and pituitaries of estrogen-treated ACI rat, 145 concordantly expressed genes, including E2F1, Myc, Igf1, and CEBPD, were identified. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that 278 curated pathways and 59 gene sets of transcription factors were enriched (FDR < 25%) in estrogen-treated ACI rats, suggesting a critical role for Myc, E2F1, CEBPD, and Sp1 in this rat prolactinoma. Similarly increased Myc, E2F1, and Sp1 expression was validated using real-time PCR and Western blot in estrogen-treated Fischer rat pituitary glands. In summary, characterization of individual genes and gene sets in human and in estrogen-induced rat prolactinomas validates the model and provides insights into genomic changes associated with this commonly encountered pituitary tumor.

Cooper LA, Gutman DA, Chisolm C, et al.
The tumor microenvironment strongly impacts master transcriptional regulators and gene expression class of glioblastoma.
Am J Pathol. 2012; 180(5):2108-19 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project has generated gene expression data that divides glioblastoma (GBM) into four transcriptional classes: proneural, neural, classical, and mesenchymal. Because transcriptional class is only partially explained by underlying genomic alterations, we hypothesize that the tumor microenvironment may also have an impact. In this study, we focused on necrosis and angiogenesis because their presence is both prognostically and biologically significant. These features were quantified in digitized histological images of TCGA GBM frozen section slides that were immediately adjacent to samples used for molecular analysis. Correlating these features with transcriptional data, we found that the mesenchymal transcriptional class was significantly enriched with GBM samples that contained a high degree of necrosis. Furthermore, among 2422 genes that correlated with the degree of necrosis in GBMs, transcription factors known to drive the mesenchymal expression class were most closely related, including C/EBP-β, C/EBP-δ, STAT3, FOSL2, bHLHE40, and RUNX1. Non-mesenchymal GBMs in the TCGA data set were found to become more transcriptionally similar to the mesenchymal class with increasing levels of necrosis. In addition, high expression levels of the master mesenchymal factors C/EBP-β, C/EBP-δ, and STAT3 were associated with a poor prognosis. Strong, specific expression of C/EBP-β and C/EBP-δ by hypoxic, perinecrotic cells in GBM likely account for their tight association with necrosis and may be related to their poor prognosis.

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