Tripartite motif 47 promotes the development of thyroid carcinoma through ADAR ubiquitination

Mol Med. 2025 Jul 5;31(1):252. doi: 10.1186/s10020-025-01298-z.

Abstract

Background: Tripartite motif 47 (TRIM47) plays a vital role in the carcinogenesis and drug resistance of various cancers, whereas the function of TRIM47 in thyroid carcinoma (TC) remains unclear.

Methods: Human study and animal experiments were performed. Mass spectrometry, cellular invasion/metastasis assay, chemo-resistance assay, and ubiquitination evaluation were conducted to investigate the interaction between TRIM47 and adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR).

Results: TRIM47 expression was increased in human tissues and cell lines of TC. Functional experiments demonstrated that TRIM47 expression enhanced malignant biological behaviors. With mass spectrometry, TRIM47 silencing could significantly decrease the chemo-resistance of TC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. The interaction between TRIM47 and ADAR was mediated through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP), which was approved by RNA interference procedure and co-immunoprecipitation.

Conclusion: Comprehensively, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)-associated ubiquitination is critical in the TRIM47-ADAR-GSK-3β axis. This study demonstrates that TRIM47 interacted with ADAR to facilitate ADAR protein degradation via ubiquitination and GSK-3β-associated phosphorylation, which serves as a novel therapeutic avenue for TC.

Keywords: Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA; Glycogen synthase kinase-3β; Phosphorylation; Thyroid carcinoma; Tripartite motif 47; Ubiquitination.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Deaminase* / genetics
  • Adenosine Deaminase* / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Proteolysis
  • RNA-Binding Proteins* / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins* / metabolism
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins* / genetics
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins* / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination*

Substances

  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Adenosine Deaminase
  • ADAR protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Tripartite Motif Proteins