Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41866493›Full record

ArticleHereditas2026

Folate-driven changes in snoRNA function: a novel epigenetic-ribosomal axis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Xinxin Song, Deyu Kong, Yongjiao Zi, Xu Wang, Juan Ni

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hereditas, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xinxin Song *College of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China.
Deyu Kong *Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650000, China.
Yongjiao ZiCollege of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China.
Xu WangCollege of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China.
Juan NiCollege of Life Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China. gt_gg30@163.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China NO. 2024J0201National Natural Science Foundation of China NO. 31860301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Folate (FA), essential for DNA synthesis, repair and methylation, is predominantly stored and metabolized in the liver. Dysregulation of folate intake and metabolism is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have shown promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in HCC, the impact of folate deficiency on their expression landscape remains uncharacterized. Here, by performing snoRNA-seq in folate-deficient HepG2 cells, we systematically identified 26 differentially expressed snoRNAs for the first time. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that downregulated snoRNAs were closely associated with cell proliferation pathways. From these, we selected SNORD1B, highly expressed in HCC tissues, correlated with poor prognosis, and significantly suppressed upon 28-day FA deprivation for mechanistic investigation. We demonstrated that FA deficiency coordinately downregulated SNORD1B and its host gene SNHG16 (P < 0.05), with strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.5104, P = 0.0465). This downregulation led to markedly reduced 2′-O-methylation at the G4362 site of 28S rRNA (P < 0.01) and impaired ribosomal activity. Expression of snoRNA-binding proteins (FBL, NOP58, NOP56) as well as IL-6 and CDK1 were significantly suppressed (P < 0.05), alongside decreased TP53 protein levels (P < 0.001). Functional assays confirmed that FA deficiency potently inhibited HepG2 proliferation and migration (P < 0.01). Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism: folate deficiency attenuates SNORD1B-dependent 2′-O-methylation of 28S rRNA, resulting in ribosomal dysfunction and suppression of global protein synthesis, thereby inhibiting HCC cell proliferation and migration. This study provides novel insight into the epigenetic-ribosomal axis of FA-mediated tumor suppression and highlights snoRNAs as potential therapeutic targets in HCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularEpigenesis, GeneticFolic AcidLiver NeoplasmsRibosomesRNA, Small NucleolarCell MovementCell ProliferationFolic Acid DeficiencyGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHep G2 CellsHumansNucleic Acid ConformationPrognosisRNA MethylationFolic AcidRNA, Small NucleolarFolateHepatocellular carcinomaSmall nucleolar RNA

Identifiers

PMID41866493
PMCPMC13130495

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.