1.1 Search the TCGA database
The expression difference of DNMT1 and Marveld1 genes in liver cancer and adjacent tissues and the relationship between the expression difference and survival, the difference of methylation level of Marveld promoter region, and the related genes of DNMT1 and Marveld1 genes were examined respectively.
1.2 Cell culture
Human HCC Bel7402 and SMMC7721 cell lines (obtained from the Cell Bank of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China: www.cellbank.org.cn) were used and DMEM medium (Gibco, Thermo Fisher Scientific Suzhou Instrument Co., Ltd.) supplemented with 10% serum (Gibco, Grand Island, NY, USA) was used at 37 °C - 5% CO2 incubator for cell culture.
1.3 Construction of transfected cell lines with down-regulated expression of Dnmt1 gene
SiRNA (Suzhou Gemma Gene) sequence:
Control group (Dnmt1-NC)
Positive-sense strand (5'-3'): UUCUCCGAACGUGUCACGUTT
Antisense strand (5'-3'): ACGUGACACGUUCGGAGAATT
Dnmt1 gene down-regulation group (Dnmt1-2505)
Positive-sense strand (5'-3'): GGGACUGUGUCUCUGUUAUTT
Antisense strand (5'-3'): AUAACAGAGACACAGUCCCTT.
Human HCC Bel7402 and SMMC7721 cells were evenly plated into 6-well plates and cultured for 24 hours. The cell density was about 50%. Premixed transfection solution was added to each well (containing 75 pmol of SiRNA, 7.5 uL of lipofectamin2000, and 200 uL of Opti-MEM medium). Further experiments were carried out after incubation for 48 hours at 37 °C - 5% CO2.
1.4 RT-PCR
From January 2017 to December 2017, 22 pairs of HCC and adjacent cancer tissue samples were collected from the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University. All samples were preserved in liquid nitrogen immediately after collection. All the samples were confirmed to be HCC by postoperative pathology. The written informed consent of the patients for the study was obtained before surgery. The intraoperative samples used in this study were approved by the medical ethics of the Human Experimental Committee of Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Harbin Medical University.
1 μg of total RNA was extracted from tissue samples and adherent cultured cell samples with trizol, and then reverse-transcribed into cDNA by reverse transcription kit, and detected by RT-PCR using a ViiATM7 real-time PCR instrument (Applied Biosystems).
Dnmt1 gene primer sequence:
Upstream 5'-AGGCGGCTCAAAGATTTGGAA-3'
Downstream 5'-GCAGAAATTCGTGCAAGAGATTC-3'
Marveld1 gene primer sequence:
Upstream 5'- ACTGAGAAGTCCCGCTGTTACAG -3'
Downstream 5'- GGGATGCTGGGAATCTTAAGG-3'
GAPDH Primer Sequence:
Upstream 5'-AGGCTGTGGGCAAGGTCATC-3'
Downstream 5'-TCAGGTCCACCACTGACACG-3'
The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line with down-regulated expression of DNMT3a and DNMT3b was constructed using the SiRNA transfection method with the same expression of down-regulation of Dnmt1, and the sequence of SiRNA (Suzhou Gemma gene):
Dnmt-NC (control group)
Positive-sense strand (5’-3’): UUCUCCGAACGUGUCACGUTT
Antisense strand (5'-3'): ACGUGACACGUUCGGAGAATT
DNMT3a-SI
Positive-sense strand (5'-3'): CGGCUCUUCUUUGAGUUCUTT
Antisense strand (5'-3'): AGAACUCAAAGAAGAGCCGTT
DNMT3b-SI
Positive-sense strand (5’-3’): GUGAGGAACAUCACAAAGATT
Antisense strand (5'-3'): UCUUUGUGAUGUUCCUCACTT
RT-PCR was used to detect the down-regulation of DNMT3a and DNMT3b expression and the corresponding Marveld1 gene expression change.
DNMT3a Primer Sequence:
Upstream: 5’-CCGATGCTGGGGACAAGAAT -3’
Downstream: 5’-CCCGTCATCCACCAAGACAC -3’
DNMT3b primer sequence:
Upstream: 5’- AGGGAAGACTCGATCCTCGTC- 3’
Downstream: 5’- GTGTGTAGCTTAGCAGACTGG-3’
Marveld1 Primer Sequence:
Upstream: 5' -ACTGAGAAGTCCCGCTGTTACAG-3’
Downstream: 5'- GGGATGCTGGGAATCTTAAGG-3'
GAPDH Primer Sequence:
Upstream: 5’- AGGCTGTGGGCAAGGTCATC- 3’
Downstream: 5’ -TCAGGTCCACCACTGACACG- 3’
1.5 Marveld1 gene promoter region methylation level sequencing detection
Marveld1 gene promoter region methylation level sequencing detection
The 1ug genomic DNA was extracted, and the bisulfite conversion and purification and collection were carried out according to the kit instructions (QIAGEN, No. 59824). The sequence of the Marveld1 gene promoter region was found in NCBI and designed the primers:
Upstream 5'-GCCAGGGCAAGCAGGAGGTGG-3'
Downstream 5'-CTGCTGAGACTAAGACGTGG-3'
After PCR amplification, the amplification products were sequenced to determine the methylation level of the Marveld1 gene promoter region, and the sequence and CpG island sites were as follows:
1CpG 2CpG 3CpG 4CpG 5CpG
CGAGTGGAACGAGTGGCGGTGCCTCTGGTGGGTGATGGACTCTTACTCCGACATGGGTAACTCGGACAG
6CpG 7CpG 8CpG
CTTTGGACAGGACGAGGCGGGCCCTGGCAGGAGACTGCGGATGTCCAGGTGACAGTGGATGCCAGTTCA
9CpG10CpG 11CpG 12CpG
AAACCAGCACTGCTCTCCTCCCG CGCCCAGGAAGAGCCCAGAGGCCCGGGGTGGGCGCTATGGCAGG
13CpG 14CpG
AAAGAGGGAAAAGGAGGAGGCAGGGCGGCAGGGGCG
1.6 Western-blot
Cell count: Taken the same number of cells and added with RIPA lysate (containing 5% Doc, 1% PMSF, 1% pepstain A, 1% ribonuclease) at a concentration of 1×106 cells/100μl, and after lysed at 4°C for 30 minutes, centrifuged at 12,000 rpm and then taken the supernatant protein solution. SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis was carried out and imprinted on a 0.2 um PVDF membrane. Washed with 0.1% PBST after sealed for 1 hour with 5% skim milk, and then immersed in 0.1% PBST diluted primary antibody overnight; washed with 0.1% PBST, and then immersed in secondary antibody for 1 hour, then washed with 0.1% PBST, and added with developer for development by ECL Western Blot Analysis System (Amersham Biosciences, Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, UK), and grayscale analysis was conducted.
1.7 Measurement of cell proliferation ability by MTT assay
The cells were plated into the 96-well plates with 1500 cells/well, cultured and adherent with 200μl of DMEM medium, and then added 100μl of medium containing 10% MTT to each well at 0h, 24h, 48h, 72h and 96h, respectively, after cultured for 4 hours, 100μl of DMSO was added to each well, and the OD value was read at a wavelength of 450 nm by a microplate after shaking. The 0hOD value was used as the baseline, and the ratio of the OD value at each time point to the OD value at 0h was the cell proliferation rate, and the proliferation curve of each group was plotted.
1.8 Changes of cell invasion ability after down-regulation of Dnmt1 gene expression was measured by Transwell method
The upper chamber of Transwell plate (3428, costar) was evenly spread with glue, and then spread with cells with 3×105 cells/well in each well, and 1.5 ml of DMEM medium containing 0.5% serum was added, and 2.6 ml of medium containing 10% serum was added to the lower chamber; After cultured at 37°C -5% for 24 hours, photographs were taken under a crystal violet staining microscope. Randomly selected 4 visual fields from each group for counting.
1.9 Determination of Cell Cycle Changes after Down-regulation of Dnmt1 Gene Expression with flow cytometry
The cells were cultured in an adherent manner without EDTA trypsinization, and then the cells were collected after centrifugation, and after washed with PBS, the cells were fixed with 75% ethanol at 4 °C for 24 hours; then washed with PBS, PI staining was performed for 30 min, and the cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry after washing with PBS.
Statistical analysis
Sample size estimation: The sample size was estimated by R statistical software. In our preliminary test, the Dnmt1 gene level of HCC tissues was 0.36, the Dnmt1 gene level of adjacent tissues was 0.22, and the standard deviation was 0.16. In the sample size estimation of this study, the proportion of the two groups is 1:1, the value of type I error α is 0.05, the value of statistical power (1 − β) is 0.8. Finally, the total sample size needed in this study is 22. On the other hand, in our preliminary test, the Marveld1 gene level of HCC tissues was 0.18, the Marveld1 gene level of adjacent tissues was 0.41, and the standard deviation was 0.20. Similarly, the proportion of the two groups is 1:1, the value of type I error α is 0.05, the value of statistical power (1 − β) is 0.8. Finally, in order to achieve the expected statistical efficacy, a total of 12 cases are needed. Based on the above calculation, in order to achieve the optimal statistical efficiency, this study finally included 12 cases. In addition, SPSS 17.0 statistical software was used for statistical analysis of each experimental result. The result was expressed as`mean ± standard deviation. Independent sample t-test or repeated measurement analysis of variance were used for comparison between groups, appropriately. In addition, Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the survival data among groups. In our study, P <0.05 (two sides) was considered statistically significant.