Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 26, 2025

The Colon-26 Carcinoma Tumor-bearing Mouse as a Model for the Study of Cancer Cachexia
08:55

The Colon-26 Carcinoma Tumor-bearing Mouse as a Model for the Study of Cancer Cachexia

Published on: November 30, 2016

16.7K

Novel noncoding RNA CircPTK2 regulates lipolysis and adipogenesis in cachexia

Zuoyou Ding1, Diya Sun1, Jun Han1

  • 1Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Molecular Metabolism
|July 26, 2021
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Circular RNA circPTK2 is upregulated in cancer cachexia, promoting fat loss by inhibiting adipogenesis and enhancing lipolysis. This study identifies circPTK2 as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer-associated cachexia involves skeletal muscle wasting and fat depletion.
  • Circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulate lipid metabolism, but their role in cachexia is unclear.
  • Identifying cachexia-specific circRNAs is crucial for understanding and treating the condition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify circRNAs upregulated in adipose tissue of cachectic patients.
  • To investigate the function and mechanism of identified circRNAs in lipid metabolism.
  • To explore circPTK2 as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer cachexia.

Main Methods:

  • Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing to screen for differentially expressed circRNAs.
  • Quantitative reverse transcription PCR to validate circPTK2 expression.
  • In vitro and in vivo experiments to assess circPTK2's effects on lipolysis and adipogenesis.
  • Mechanistic studies including luciferase reporter assays and RNA immunoprecipitation to elucidate molecular interactions.

Main Results:

  • Identified 66 differentially expressed circRNA candidates, with circPTK2 significantly upregulated in cachectic adipose tissue.
  • circPTK2 acts as a diagnostic marker for cachexia.
  • circPTK2 promotes lipolysis and inhibits adipogenesis by sponging miR-182-5p, thereby upregulating JAZF1.
  • In vivo studies confirmed circPTK2's role in modulating adipogenesis and lipolysis.

Conclusions:

  • circPTK2 plays a novel role in promoting lipolysis and reducing adipogenesis through a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism.
  • circPTK2 represents a potential diagnostic biomarker for cancer-associated cachexia.
  • circPTK2 emerges as a promising therapeutic target for managing cancer cachexia.
Keywords:
Adipose tissue wastingBiomarkersCancer-associated cachexiaCircular RNAsMicroRNAs

More Related Videos

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro09:41

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro

Published on: March 17, 2023

3.2K
An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function09:20

An Adipocyte Cell Culture Model to Study the Impact of Protein and Micro-RNA Modulation on Adipocyte Function

Published on: May 4, 2021

3.9K

Related Concept Videos

Lipid Catabolism01:25

Lipid Catabolism

Triglycerides serve as crucial long-term energy storage molecules in microorganisms, providing a dense source of metabolic energy. Their breakdown is mediated by lipases, which hydrolyze triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids. Each of these components follows distinct metabolic pathways, ultimately contributing to ATP synthesis and cellular energy homeostasis.Glycerol MetabolismGlycerol, released from triglyceride hydrolysis, is phosphorylated by glycerol kinase to form...
371
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a...
4.2K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.0K
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
9.2K
Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response01:31

Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response

Inositol-requiring kinase one or IRE1 is the most conserved eukaryotic unfolded protein response (UPR) receptor. It is a type I transmembrane protein kinase receptor with a distinctive site-specific RNase activity. As the binding mechanics of the misfolded proteins with the N-terminal domain of IRE-1 are unclear, three binding models — direct, indirect, and allosteric -- are proposed for receptor activation. Nevertheless, it is known that once a misfolded protein associates with IRE1, it...
2.7K
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting01:45

Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting

Nuclear protein sorting regulates nucleus composition and gene expression, crucial for determining the fate of a eukaryotic cell. Hence, the entry and exit of molecules across the nuclear envelope is a tightly controlled process. Nuclear protein sorting can be inhibited by one of the following ways: 1) masking cargo signal sequences, 2) modifying the nuclear receptor's affinity for cargo, 3) controlling the nuclear pore size, 4) retaining the cargo during its transit to the cytosol or the...
2.7K