Aims: This study aimed to identify the correlation and molecular mechanism between TBC1 domain family member 14 (TBC1D14) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Whole transcriptome sequencing of HNSCC tissues with or without LNM was performed. TBC1D14 expression was quantified in HNSCC tissues. The role of TBC1D14 in HNSCC migration, invasion, autophagy, and LNM was investigated by wound healing, Transwell, western blotting, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy assays in vitro and in a mouse model in vivo. The correlation between autophagy and LNM was detected by wound healing and Transwell assays in vitro and western blotting in vivo. Mass spectrometry was used to identify the downstream target proteins. The correlation between TBC1D14 expression and macrophage erythroblast attacher (MAEA) expression was identified by qRT-PCR and western blotting assays in vitro and immunohistochemistry in vivo. The gain-of-function strategy was applied to further reveal the role of MAEA in the TBC1D14-induced autophagy of HNSCC cells. Results: TBC1D14 was a co-differentially expressed gene in the sequencing results, The Cancer Genome Atlas Data Portal, and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. TBC1D14 had a lower RNA and protein expression in HNSCC with LNM samples and was a favorable prognostic indicator. TBC1D14 inhibited the migration and invasion of HNSCC in vivo. Mechanistically, TBC1D14-induced autophagy suppression inhibited the migration and invasion of HNSCC. TBC1D14 expression negatively correlated with MAEA expression both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, MAEA overexpression could reverse TBC1D14-induced autophagy suppression. Conclusion: TBC1D14 is a novel LNM inhibitor in HNSCC and a favorable prognostic marker. TBC1D14 suppresses autophagy to inhibit LNM in HNSCC by downregulating MAEA expression. The results clarify the molecular mechanism of TBC1D14 in HNSCC.
Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) are highly aggressive solid tumors with poor prognoses. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis of HNC. In the TME, immune and stromal cells influence tumor initiation, response, and therapy. Our study aimed to evaluate the progression and prognosis of HNC by analyzing the key genes involved in immunization and stromal cells. Methods: Gene expression profiles, demographics, and survival data were downloaded from the TCGA database. Patients with HNC were divided into high immune/stromal score groupss or low immune/stromal score groups based on the ESTIMATE algorithm. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified via functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction networks, and survival analysis based on DEGs was also performed.Results: A total of 522 patients with HNC were enrolled for analysis. The average age was 60.87, and one-third of the patients were HPV-positive. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients' median survival time in the low-score group was shorter than that of the high-score group (625 vs. 680 days, log-rank, p = 0.1716). According to immune scores, 925 genes were upregulated, and 72 genes were downregulated in the high-score group compared with the low-score group. Top Gene Ontology terms identified that T-cell costimulation, regulation of immune response, and the external side of the plasma membrane were the most involved pathways. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that 480 DEGs were upregulated in the high-immune scores group, and a total of 126 DEGs were significantly associated with poor survival. Besides, we identified the hub genes of DEGs through protein-protein interactions and found that PTPRC, CD247, and CD4 are associated with immune infiltration and all-cause mortality.Conclusions: We identified a series of TME‐related genes significantly associated with overall mortality; this information is crucial for further understanding the role of TME and immune infiltration in the prognosis of HNC.
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