Lu, Qinchen, Wang, Jiandong, Tao, Yuting, Zhong, Jialing, Zhang, Zhao, Feng, Chao, Wang, Xi, Li, Tianyu, He, Rongquan, Wang, Qiuyan, and Xie, Yuanliang
Simple Summary: Bladder cancer (BLCA) stands as the predominant malignancy within the global urinary system. Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs), constituting a distinct subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), have recently recognized as crucial players in various physiological and pathological processes. The aim of our retrospective study was to elucidate the potential role and mechanism of SCARNA12 in BLCA, offering a foundational understanding the functionalities of scaRNAs. Employing integrated transcriptomic and single-cell proteomic analyses, we comprehensively investigate the impact of SCARNA12 on extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling pathways. Biological experiments provide additional insights into the oncogenic nature of SCARNA12, highlighting its interaction with the transcription factor H2AFZ as a pivotal factor in contributing to the carcinogenesis and progression of BLCA. This study suggests SCARNA12 as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target, unveiling its involvement in BLCA through modulation of ECM signaling and interaction with H2AFZ. Background: Small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs) are a specific subset of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that have recently emerged as pivotal contributors in diverse physiological and pathological processes. However, their defined roles in carcinogenesis remain largely elusive. This study aims to explore the potential function and mechanism of SCARNA12 in bladder cancer (BLCA) and to provide a theoretical basis for further investigations into the biological functionalities of scaRNAs. Materials and Methods: TCGA, GEO and GTEx data sets were used to analyze the expression of SCARNA12 and its clinicopathological significance in BLCA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization were applied to validate the expression of SCARNA12 in both BLCA cell lines and tissues. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) combined with bioinformatics analyses were conducted to reveal the changes in gene expression patterns and functional pathways in BLCA patients with different expressions of SCARNA12 and T24 cell lines upon SCARNA12 knockdown. Single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) was then used to evaluate the tumor-related cell cluster affected by SCARNA12. Moreover, SCARNA12 was stably knocked down in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines by lentivirus-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 approach. The biological effects of SCARNA12 on the proliferation, clonogenic, migration, invasion, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, and tumor growth were assessed by in vitro MTT, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, flow cytometry assays, and in vivo nude mice xenograft models, respectively. Finally, a chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) experiment was further conducted to delineate the potential mechanisms of SCARNA12 in BLCA. Results: The expression of SCARNA12 was significantly up-regulated in both BLCA tissues and cell lines. RNA-seq data elucidated that SCARAN12 may play a potential role in cell adhesion and extracellular matrix (ECM) related signaling pathways. CyTOF results further showed that an ECM-related cell cluster with vimentin+, CD13+, CD44+, and CD47+ was enriched in BLCA patients with high SCARNA12 expression. Additionally, SCARNA12 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion abilities in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines. SCARNA12 knockdown prompted cell arrest in the G0/G1 and G2/M phase and promoted apoptosis in T24 and UMUC3 cell lines. Furthermore, SCARNA12 knockdown could suppress the in vivo tumor growth in nude mice. A ChIRP experiment further suggested that SCARNA12 may combine transcription factors H2AFZ to modulate the transcription program and then affect BLCA progression. Conclusions: Our study is the first to propose aberrant alteration of SCARNA12 and elucidate its potential oncogenic roles in BLCA via the modulation of ECM signaling. The interaction of SCARNA12 with the transcriptional factor H2AFZ emerges as a key contributor to the carcinogenesis and progression of BLCA. These findings suggest SCARNA12 may serve as a diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for the treatment of BLCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]