SNAP25-induced MYC upregulation promotes high-grade neuroendocrine lung carcinoma progression

Front Immunol. 2024 Oct 4:15:1411114. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1411114. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the expression and role of Synaptosome associated protein 25 (SNAP25) in high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (HGNEC).

Methods: We used differentially expressed analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify key genes and modules in HGNEC. KEGG and GO analyses helped understand these genes' roles, and ROC curves assessed their diagnostic value. We also studied SNAP25's relation to immune infiltration and confirmed findings with in vitro and vivo experiments and datasets.

Results: WGCNA identified 595 key genes related to pathways like MAPK signaling, GABAergic synapse, and cancer-related transcriptional misregulation. Top genes included SNAP25, MYC, NRXN1, GAD2, and SYT1. SNAP25 was notably associated with M2 macrophage infiltration. Dataset GSE40275 confirmed SNAP25's high expression and poor prognosis in HGNEC. qRT-PCR and WB analyses showed increased SNAP25 and c-MYC levels in HGNEC, promoting MEK/ERK pathway activity. Reducing SNAP25 decreased H1299 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and levels of c-MYC, MEK, and ERK. Finally, in vivo experiments further confirmed that SNAP25 knockout can inhibit tumor growth.

Conclusion: SNAP25 regulates c-MYC activation by stimulating the MEK/ERK pathway, ultimately influencing the development of HGNEC.

Keywords: ERK; MEK; c-Myc; high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma; synaptosome associated protein 25.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine* / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine* / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine* / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc* / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc* / metabolism
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25* / genetics
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25* / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25
  • SNAP25 protein, human
  • MYC protein, human

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau's Key Research and Development Program (No. SL2022B01J10007), the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology project (No.2023A03J0300), the Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology (No.2022YFC3500203), The Guangdong Provincial Basic and Applied Basic Research Fund (No. 2022B1515230003), National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 82305340).