Silencing DNA Polymerase β Induces Aneuploidy as a Biomarker of Poor Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Cancer

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 22; no. 5; p. 2402
• Main Authors: Wang, Hui-Ching, Chan, Leong-Perng, Wu, Chun-Chieh, Chang, Shu-Jyuan, Moi, Sin-Hua, Luo, Chi-Wen, Pan, Mei-Ren
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 27.02.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Aneuploidy; Base excision repair; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cancer; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogens; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - enzymology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - genetics; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - mortality; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - secondary; Cell cycle; cell cycles; Cell growth; Cell Proliferation; Chemotherapy; Cyclin-dependent kinases; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Depletion; DNA; DNA damage; DNA polymerase; DNA Polymerase beta - antagonists & inhibitors; DNA Polymerase beta - genetics; DNA Polymerase beta - metabolism; DNA polymerase β; DNA repair; DNA-directed DNA polymerase; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genes; Genomic instability; Head & neck cancer; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Kinases; Lymph nodes; Lymphatic Metastasis; Lymphatic system; Male; Medical prognosis; Metabolism; Metastases; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Mitosis; Mouth Neoplasms - enzymology; Mouth Neoplasms - genetics; Mouth Neoplasms - mortality; Mouth Neoplasms - pathology; Mutation; Oral cancer; Patients; Prognosis; Proteins; Radiation therapy; Regression analysis; Stability; Stability analysis; Survival; Survival analysis; Survival Rate; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumorigenesis; aneuploidy; DNA polymerase β; cell cycles; oral cancer
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052402

Most patients with oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) have a locally advanced stage at diagnosis. The treatment strategies are diverse, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite multimodality treatment, the response rate is unsatisfactory. DNA repair and genetic instability are highly associated with carcinogenesis and treatment outcomes in oral squamous cell cancer, affecting cell growth and proliferation. Therefore, focusing on DNA repair and genetic instability interactions could be a potential target for improving the outcomes of OSCC patients. DNA polymerase-β (POLB) is an important enzyme in base excision repair and contributes to gene instability, leading to tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. The aim of our study was to confirm POLB regulates the growth of OSCC cells through modulation of cell cycle and chromosomal instability. We analyzed a tissue array from 133 OSCC patients and discovered that low POLB expression was associated with advanced tumor stage and poor overall survival. In multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, low POLB expression and advanced lymph node status were significantly associated with poor survival. By performing in vitro studies on model cell lines, we demonstrated that POLB silencing regulated cell cycles, exacerbated mitotic abnormalities and enhanced cell proliferation. After POLB depletion, OSCC cells showed chromosomal instability and aneuploidy. Thus, POLB is an important maintainer of karyotypic stability in OSCC cells.