β-Trcp and CK1δ-mediated degradation of LZTS2 activates PI3K/AKT signaling to drive tumorigenesis and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

AbstractDistant metastasis is the leading cause of treatment failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here, we report that Leucine zipper tumor suppressor 2 (LZTS2) is downregulated and correlated with poor prognosis in HCC. Furthermore, we provide evidence that LZTS2 associates with p85 to inhibit the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling and impairs HCC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we identify LZTS2 as a bona fide substrate of the E3 ligase β-Trcp and protein kinase CK1δ, which are responsible for the ubiquitination and degradation of LZTS2. Importantly, we show that the β-Trcp and CK1δ-mediated degradation of LZTS2 promotes HCC progression and metastasis by activating PI3K/AKT signaling. Collectively, our study not only illustrates the roles of LZTS2 in regulating HCC tumorigenesis and metastasis but also reveals a novel posttranslational modification of LZTS2 by β-Trcp and CK1δ, indicating that the β-Trcp/CK1δ/LZTS2/PI3K axis may be a novel oncogenic driver involved in HCC progression and metastasis.

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RETRACTED ARTICLE: α2,6-Sialylation mediates hepatocellular carcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo by targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Oncogenesis ◽

10.1038/oncsis.2017.40 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. e343-e343 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Y Zhao ◽

A Wei ◽

H Zhang ◽

X Chen ◽

L Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mouse Xenograft Model ◽

Retracted Article ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

St6gal I

Abstract Abnormal sialylation due to overexpression of sialyltransferases has been associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Although ST6Gal-I influences cancer persistence and progression by affecting various receptors, the underlying mechanisms and mediators remain largely obscure, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that ST6Gal-I expression was markedly upregulated in HCC tissues and cells, high levels being associated with aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. Furthermore, we examined the roles and mechanisms of ST6Gal-I in HCC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. ST6Gal-I overexpression promoted proliferation, migration and invasion of Huh-7 cells, whereas its knockdown restricted these abilities in MHCC97-H cells. Additionally, in a mouse xenograft model, ST6Gal-I-knockdown MHCC97-H cells formed significantly smaller tumors, implying that ST6Gal-I overexpression can induce HCC cell malignant transformation. Importantly, enhanced HCC tumorigenesis and metastasis by ST6Gal-I may be associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotion, including β-catenin nuclear transition and upregulation of downstream molecules. Together, our results suggest a role for ST6Gal-I in promoting the growth and invasion of HCC cells through the modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling molecules, and that ST6Gal-I might be a promising marker for prognosis and therapy of HCC.

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CircFAM13B promotes the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma by sponging miR-212, upregulating E2F5 expression and activating the P53 pathway

Cancer Cell International ◽

10.1186/s12935-021-02120-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ying Xie ◽

Xiaofeng Hang ◽

Wensheng Xu ◽

Jing Gu ◽

Yuanjing Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

In Vivo Studies ◽

Circular Rnas ◽

Novel Target ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Background Most of the biological functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and the potential underlying mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been discovered. Methods In this study, using circRNA expression data from HCC tumor tissues and adjacent tissues from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we identified out differentially expressed circRNAs and verified them by qRT-PCT. Functional experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of circFAM13B in HCC in vitro and in vivo. Results We found that circFAM13B was the most significantly differentially expressed circRNA in HCC tissue. Subsequently, in vitro and in vivo studies also demonstrated that circFAM13B promoted the proliferation of HCC. Further studies revealed that circFAM13B, a sponge of miR-212, is involved in the regulation of E2F5 gene expression by competitively binding to miR-212, inhibits the activation of the P53 signalling pathway, and promotes the proliferation of HCC cells. Conclusions Our findings revealed the mechanism underlying the regulatory role played by circFAM13B, miR-212 and E2F5 in HCC. This study provides a new theoretical basis and novel target for the clinical prevention and treatment of HCC.

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Scorpion inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.1177/1535370218762514 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 243 (7) ◽

pp. 645-654 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yi-Quan Yan ◽

Juan Xie ◽

Jing-Fu Wang ◽

Zhao-Feng Shi ◽

Xiang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Unfavorable Clinical Outcome ◽

Metastasis Models ◽

Tumor Growth And Metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant diseases worldwide. The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Some scholars of traditional Chinese medicine suggested that endogenous wind-evil had played an important role in metastasis of malignant tumor. Therefore, the drug of dispelling wind-evil could be used to prevent cancer metastasis and improve the poor prognosis. So we wondered whether Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect especially in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of HCC in this research. We found that Scorpion-medicated serum could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and decrease migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Meanwhile, we observed that water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT, which is characterized by increased epithelial marker E-cadherin expression and decreased mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Snail expression following Scorpion treatment both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells’ invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis. Impact statement The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Here we found Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect. Scorpion-medicated serum inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, and decreased migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells’ invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis.

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HEG1 indicates poor prognosis and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma invasion, metastasis, and EMT by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs20190225 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 133 (14) ◽

pp. 1645-1662 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yan-rong Zhao ◽

Ji-long Wang ◽

Cong Xu ◽

Yi-ming Li ◽

Bo Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Heart Development ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Nuclear Translocation ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

Intrahepatic Metastasis ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

Abstract Heart development protein with EGF-like domains 1 (HEG1) plays critical roles in embryo development and angiogenesis, which are closely related to tumor progression. However, the role of HEG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In the present study, we explored the clinical significance, biological function and regulatory mechanisms of HEG1 in HCC and found that HEG1 is significantly up-regulated in HCC cell lines and primary tumor samples. Additionally, high HEG1 expression is correlated with aggressive clinicopathological features. Patients with high HEG1 expression had shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) than those with low HEG1 expression, which indicated that HEG1 is an independent factor for poor prognosis. Lentivirus-mediated HEG1 overexpression significantly promotes HCC cell migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and promotes intrahepatic metastasis, lung metastasis and EMT in vivo. Opposing results are observed when HEG1 is silenced. Mechanistically, HEG1 promotes β-catenin expression and maintains its stability, leading to intracellular β-catenin accumulation, β-catenin nuclear translocation and Wnt signaling activation. Loss- and gain-of-function assays further confirmed that β-catenin is essential for HEG1-mediated promotion of HCC invasion, metastasis and EMT. In conclusion, HEG1 indicates poor prognosis; plays important roles in HCC invasion, metastasis and EMT by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling; and can serve as a potentially valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

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Dephosphorylation of protamine 2 at serine 56 is crucial for murine sperm maturation in vivo

Science Signaling ◽

10.1126/scisignal.aao7232 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (574) ◽

pp. eaao7232 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Katsuhiko Itoh ◽

Gen Kondoh ◽

Hitoshi Miyachi ◽

Manabu Sugai ◽

Yoshiyuki Kaneko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Posttranslational Modification ◽

Sperm Maturation ◽

Sperm Cells ◽

Chromatin Binding ◽

Wild Type ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Deficient Mice ◽

Protamine 2

The posttranslational modification of histones is crucial in spermatogenesis, as in other tissues; however, during spermiogenesis, histones are replaced with protamines, which are critical for the tight packaging of the DNA in sperm cells. Protamines are also posttranslationally modified by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, which prompted our investigation of the underlying mechanisms and biological consequences of their regulation. On the basis of a screen that implicated the heat shock protein Hspa4l in spermatogenesis, we generated mice deficient in Hspa4l (Hspa4l-null mice), which showed male infertility and the malformation of sperm heads. These phenotypes are similar to those of Ppp1cc-deficient mice, and we found that the amount of a testis- and sperm-specific isoform of the Ppp1cc phosphatase (Ppp1cc2) in the chromatin-binding fraction was substantially less in Hspa4l-null spermatozoa than that in those of wild-type mice. We further showed that Ppp1cc2 was a substrate of the chaperones Hsc70 and Hsp70 and that Hspa4l enhanced the release of Ppp1cc2 from these complexes, enabling the freed Ppp1cc2 to localize to chromatin. Pull-down and in vitro phosphatase assays suggested the dephosphorylation of protamine 2 at serine 56 (Prm2 Ser56) by Ppp1cc2. To confirm the biological importance of Prm2 Ser56 dephosphorylation, we mutated Ser56 to alanine in Prm2 (Prm2 S56A). Introduction of this mutation to Hspa4l-null mice (Hspa4l−/−; Prm2S56A/S56A) restored the malformation of sperm heads and the infertility of Hspa4l−/− mice. The dephosphorylation signal to eliminate phosphate was crucial, and these results unveiled the mechanism and biological relevance of the dephosphorylation of Prm2 for sperm maturation in vivo.

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LncRNA-URHC Functions as a ceRNA to Regulate Danjb9 Expression by Competitively Binding to miR-5007-3p in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

10.21203/rs.3.rs-335058/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

kunwei niu ◽

Shibin Qu ◽

Xuan Zhang ◽

Jimin Dai ◽

Jianlin Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Proliferation In Vitro ◽

Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often diagnosed at a late stage, when the prognosis is poor. The regulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) plays a crucial role in HCC. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA signaling in HCC remain largely unknown. We study aim to investigate the underlying mechanisms of lncRNA (upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma) URHC in HCC. Methods: RT-qPCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) staining, EdU, colony formation, and tumor xenografts experiments were used to identify localized and biological effects of URHC on HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. The bioinformatics analysis, Dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments revealed the potential mechanism of URHC.Results: URHC silencing may inhibit the HCC cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo. We found that URHC was mainly localized in the cytoplasm. The expression of miR-5007-3p was negatively regulated by URHC. And miR-5007-3p could reverse the effect of URHC in HCC cells. The expression of DNAJB9 was negatively regulated by miR-5007-3p but positively regulated by URHC. These suggesting of lncRNA-URHC positively regulated the level of DNAJB9 by sponging miR-5007-3p.Conclusion: Together, our study elucidated the role of URHC as a miRNA sponge in HCC, and shed new light on lncRNA-directed diagnostics and therapeutics in HCC.

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UPF1 Promotes Chemoresistance to Oxaliplatin Through Maintenance of Stemness by Increasing Phosphorylated TOP2A in Colorectal Cancer.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-130880/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Congcong Zhu ◽

Long Zhang ◽

Senlin Zhao ◽

Weixing Dai ◽

Yun Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Clinical Relevance ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Therapy Strategy ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Background: UPF1 is proved to dysregulate in multiple tumors and influence carcinogenesis. However, the role of UPF1 on oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unknown.Methods: Firstly, we investigated the clinical relevance of UPF1 in CRC patients. Then, we explored the influence of UPF1 on chemoresistance to oxaliplatin in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we disclosed the underlying mechanisms of oxaliplatin resistance induced by UPF1.Results: UPF1 is upregulated in CRC and overexpression of UPF1 more likely results in recurrence in CRC patients and predicts a poorer overall survival (OS). UPF1 maintains stemness in CRC cell lines and promotes chemoresistance to oxaliplatin in CRC. UPF1-induced oxaliplatin resistance can be associated with interaction with TOP2A and increasing phosphorylated TOP2A.Conclusions: UPF1 was overexpressed and predicted a poor prognosis in CRC. UPF1 enhanced the stemness and chemoresistance to oxaliplatin by interaction with TOP2A and increase of phosphorylated TOP2A in CRC, which may provide a new therapy strategy for chemoresistance to oxaliplatin in CRC patients.

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The Long Non-coding RNA LINC01133 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Sponging miR-199a-5p and Activating Annexin A2

10.21203/rs.3.rs-130867/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dan Yin ◽

Zhi-Qiang Hu ◽

Chu-Bin Luo ◽

Xiao-Yi Wang ◽

Hao-Yang Xin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Western Blot ◽

Copy Number ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Annexin A2 ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Qrt Pcr

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be functionally associated with cancer development and progression. Although copy number variations (CNVs) are common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), little is known about how CNVs in lncRNAs affect HCC progression and recurrence.Methods: We analyzed the whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of matched cancerous and non-cancerous liver samples from 49 patients with HCC to identify lncRNAs with CNVs. The results were validated in another cohort of 238 paired HCC and non-tumor samples by TaqMan copy number assay. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test were performed to determine the prognostic value of CNVs in lincRNAs. Loss- and gain-of-function studies were conducted to determine the biological functions of LINC01133 in vitro and in vivo. The competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) mechanism was clarified by microRNA sequencing (miR-seq), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, and dual-luciferase reporter analyses. The protein binding mechanism was confirmed by RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), qRT-PCR, and western blot analyses.Results: Genomic copy number of LINC01133 was increased in HCC, which is positively related with the elevated expression of LINC01133. Increased copy number of LINC01133 predicted the poor prognosis in HCC patients. LINC01133 overexpression promoted proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and facilitated tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo, whereas LINC01133 knockdown had the opposite effects. Mechanistically, LINC01133 acted as a sponge of miR-199a-5p, resulting in enhanced expression of SNAI1, which induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. In addition, LINC01133 interacted with Annexin A2 (ANXA2) to activate ANXA2/STAT3 signaling pathway.Conclusions: LINC01133 promotes HCC progression by sponging miR-199a-5p and interacting with ANXA2. LINC01133 CNV gain is predictive of poor prognosis in HCC patients undergoing curative resection.

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TRIB3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth and predicts poor prognosis

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

10.3233/cbm-201577 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 307-315

Author(s):

Xiao-Jun Wang ◽

Fei-Fei Li ◽

Yi-Jing Zhang ◽

Man Jiang ◽

Wan-Hua Ren

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Clinicopathological Characteristics ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Normal Tissues ◽

Related Family ◽

Hcc Cells

BACKGROUND: Tribbles pseudokinase 3 (TRIB3) is a member of the tribbles-related family, which is involved a lot of cellular processes and multiple cancers, such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, renal cell carcinomas, and lung cancer. However, the expression pattern and biological function of TRIB3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been completely elucidated. METHODS: The expression of TRIB3 and clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated by HCC tissue microarray and qPCR analysis. Lentivirus packaging and transfection were employed to establish cell lines with TRIB3 overexpression or knockdown. The biological functions of TRIB3 in the growth of HCC were determined using MTT and crystal violet assays. Tumor growth was monitored in a xenograft model in vivo. RESULTS: The expression of TRIB3 was upregulated in HCC tissue samples compared to paired normal tissues in 45 patients examined by qPCR assay. TRIB3 expression was significantly correlated with HCC tumor size and prognosis in postoperative patients by analysis of the TRIB3 expression data and HCC clinical features. Forced expression of TRIB3 significantly promoted HCC growth in vitro. In contrast, downregulation of TRIB3 inhibited cell growth in vitro. Moreover, knockdown of TRIB3 suppressed tumorigenesis of HCC cells in vivo. CONCLUSION: TRIB3 promotes growth abilities of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo and predicts poor prognosis of HCC patients, which serves as a prognostic marker and might provide a potential therapeutic candidate for patients with HCC.

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S100A11/ANXA2 belongs to a tumour suppressor/oncogene network deregulated early with steatosis and involved in inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma development

Gut ◽

10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319019 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 69 (10) ◽

pp. 1841-1854 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Cyril Sobolewski ◽

Daniel Abegg ◽

Flavien Berthou ◽

Dobrochna Dolicka ◽

Nicolas Calo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Tumour Suppressor ◽

High Grade ◽

Genomic Alterations ◽

Deficient Diet ◽

Alcoholic Fatty Liver

ObjectiveHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development occurs with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the absence of cirrhosis and with an increasing incidence due to the obesity pandemic. Mutations of tumour suppressor (TS) genes and oncogenes (ONC) have been widely characterised in HCC. However, mounting evidence indicates that non-genomic alterations of TS/ONC occur early with NAFLD, thereby potentially promoting hepatocarcinogenesis in an inflammatory/fibrotic context. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise these alterations.DesignThe proteome of steatotic liver tissues from mice spontaneously developing HCC was analysed. Alterations of TSs/ONCs were further investigated in various mouse models of NAFLD/HCC and in human samples. The inflammatory, fibrogenic and oncogenic functions of S100A11 were assessed through in vivo, in vitro and ex-vivo analyses.ResultsA whole set of TSs/ONCs, respectively, downregulated or upregulated was uncovered in mice and human with NAFLD. Alterations of these TSs/ONCs were preserved or even exacerbated in HCC. Among them, overexpression of S100A11 was associated with high-grade HCC and poor prognosis. S100A11 downregulation in vivo significantly restrains the development of inflammation and fibrosis in mice fed a choline/methionine-deficient diet. Finally, in vitro and ex-vivo analyses revealed that S100A11 is a marker of hepatocyte de-differentiation, secreted by cancer cells, and promoting cell proliferation and migration.ConclusionCellular stress associated with NAFLD triggers non-genomic alterations of a whole network of TSs/ONCs fostering hepatocarcinogenesis. Among those, overexpression of the oncogenic factor S100A11 promotes inflammation/fibrosis in vivo and is significantly associated with high-grade HCC with poor prognosis.

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