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IL-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine that promotes the expression of different cytokines and chemokines via the induction of gene transcription and the posttranscriptional stabilization of mRNAs. In this study, we show that IL-17 increases the half-life of the Zc3h12a mRNA via interaction of the adaptor protein CIKS with the DEAD box protein DDX3X. IL-17 stimulation promotes the formation of a complex between CIKS and DDX3X, and this interaction requires the helicase domain of DDX3X but not its ATPase activity. DDX3X knockdown decreases the IL-17–induced stability of Zc3h12a without affecting the stability of other mRNAs. IKKε, TNFR-associated factor 2, and TNFR-associated factor 5 were also required to mediate the IL-17–induced Zc3h12a stabilization. DDX3X directly binds the Zc3h12a mRNA after IL-17 stimulation. Collectively, our findings define a novel, IL-17–dependent mechanism regulating the stabilization of a selected mRNA.

Context: We have previously identified neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as one of the genes mediating the oncogenic activity of nuclear factor-?B in human anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATCs). Objectives: To further investigate the role of NGAL in thyroid cancer, we established NGAL knocked-down and NGAL overexpressing ATC cell lines. Results: We found that the ability of NGAL knocked-down cells to degrade Matrigel in a transwell invasion assay and to form lung metastasis in nude mice was decreased. Because NGAL binds matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), to form a macromolecular complex involved in the regulation of metastatic spread of cancer cells and given the strong expression of both genes in tissue specimens from human ATCs, we analyzed the MMP-9 enzymatic activity in NGAL-null ATC cells. Enzymatic immunoassays show that MMP-9 activity is reduced in NGAL-null ATC cells, even if its expression is not affected by NGAL inhibition. Ectopic expression of NGAL in an ATC cell line not expressing NGAL determines an increase of its metastatic property. The use of a mutated form of NGAL, unable to bind MMP-9, has no positive effect on the invasive potential of ATC cells and does not improve the MMP-9 enzymatic activity. Conclusions: Our results indicate NGAL as a novel target of nuclear factor-?B prometastatic activity in thyroid cancer through enhancement of MMP-9 enzymatic activity.

The demographic tendency in industrial countries to delay child bearing coupled with the maternal age effect in common chromosomal aneuploidies and the risk to the fetus of invasive prenatal diagnosis are potent drivers for the development of strategies for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. A breakthrough has been the discovery of differentially methylated cell free fetal DNA in the maternal circulation. We describe novel bisulfite conversion and methylation-sensitive enzyme digestion DNA methylation related approaches, which we used to diagnose Turner syndrome from first trimester samples. We used an X linked marker, EF3, and an autosomal marker, RASSF1A to discriminate between placenta and maternal blood cell DNA using Real Time methylation specific PCR after bisulfite conversion and Real Time PCR after methylation-sensitive restriction digestion. By normalizing EF3 amplifications versus RASSF1A outputs, we were able to calculate sex chromosomes/autosomes ratio in chorionic villus samples (CVS), thus permitting us to correctly diagnose Turner syndrome samples. The identification of this new marker coupled with the strategy here outlined may be instrumental to develop an efficient, non invasive method of diagnosis of sex chromosomes aneuploidies on plasma samples.