scholarly journals HIF-1α-activated long non-coding RNA KDM4A-AS1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via the miR-411-5p/KPNA2/AKT pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianxiang Chen ◽  
Runkun Liu ◽  
Yongshen Niu ◽  
Huanye Mo ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Akt Pathway ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Transcriptional Level ◽  
Akt Inhibitor ◽  
Tumorigenesis And Progression ◽  
Hcc Cells

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer with poor clinical outcomes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are extensively involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC. However, more investigations should be carried out on novel lncRNAs and their effects on HCC. Here we identified a novel lncRNA KDM4A-AS1, which was aberrantly overexpressed in HCC tissues, associated with unfavorable clinical features and poor prognosis of patients. KDM4A-AS1 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and contributed to HCC growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, KDM4A-AS1 was inversely modulated by miR-411-5p at the post-transcriptional level and facilitated Karyopherin α2 (KPNA2) expression by competitively binding miR-411-5p, thereby activating the AKT pathway. KPNA2 silencing, miR-411-5p overexpression, and AKT inhibitor (MK2206) consistently reversed KDM4A-AS1-enhanced proliferation, mobility, and EMT of HCC cells. KDM4A-AS1 was identified as a novel hypoxia-responsive gene and transactivated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in HCC cells. In turn, KDM4A-AS1 regulated HIF-1α expression through the KPNA2/AKT signaling pathway. Hence, this study revealed a novel hypoxia-responsive lncRNA, KDM4A-AS1, which contributed to HCC growth and metastasis via the KDM4A-AS1/KPNA2/HIF-1α signaling loop. Our findings provide a promising prognostic and therapeutic target for HCC.

scholarly journals USP29-mediated HIF1α stabilization is associated with Sorafenib resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by upregulating glycolysis

Oncogenesis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruize Gao ◽  
David Buechel ◽  
Ravi K. R. Kalathur ◽  
Marco F. Morini ◽  
Mairene Coto-Llerena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Aerobic Glycolysis ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Key Enzyme ◽  
Hcc Cells

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanisms underlying evasive resistance in cancer is an unmet medical need to improve the efficacy of current therapies. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), aberrant expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF1α) and increased aerobic glycolysis metabolism are drivers of resistance to therapy with the multi-kinase inhibitor Sorafenib. However, it has remained unknown how HIF1α is activated and how its activity and the subsequent induction of aerobic glycolysis promote Sorafenib resistance in HCC. Here, we report the ubiquitin-specific peptidase USP29 as a new regulator of HIF1α and of aerobic glycolysis during the development of Sorafenib resistance in HCC. In particular, we identified USP29 as a critical deubiquitylase (DUB) of HIF1α, which directly deubiquitylates and stabilizes HIF1α and, thus, promotes its transcriptional activity. Among the transcriptional targets of HIF1α is the gene encoding hexokinase 2 (HK2), a key enzyme of the glycolytic pathway. The absence of USP29, and thus of HIF1α transcriptional activity, reduces the levels of aerobic glycolysis and restores sensitivity to Sorafenib in Sorafenib-resistant HCC cells in vitro and in xenograft transplantation mouse models in vivo. Notably, the absence of USP29 and high HK2 expression levels correlate with the response of HCC patients to Sorafenib therapy. Together, the data demonstrate that, as a DUB of HIF1α, USP29 promotes Sorafenib resistance in HCC cells, in parts by upregulating glycolysis, thereby opening new avenues for therapeutically targeting Sorafenib-resistant HCC in patients.

scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA TUG1 promotes cell progression in hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating miR-216b-5p/DLX2 axis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun Dai ◽  
Jingyi Deng ◽  
Jinrong Zhou ◽  
Zhuhong Wang ◽  
Xiao-feng Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Noncoding Rna ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Marked Rise ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence indicates that the long noncoding RNA taurine upregulated gene 1(TUG1) plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. However, the overall biological role and clinical significance of TUG1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown. Methods The expressions of TUG1, microRNA-216b-5p and distal-less homeobox 2 (DLX2) were detected by Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The target relationships were predicted by StarBase v.2.0 or TargetScan and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The cell growth, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), Flow cytometry and Transwell assays, respectively. All protein expression levels were detected by western blot. Tumor xenografts were implemented to explore the role of TUG1 in vivo. Results We found that there was a marked rise in TUG1 expression in HCC tissues and cells, and knockdown of TUG1 repressed the growth and metastasis and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells. In particular, TUG1 could act as a ceRNA, effectively becoming a sink for miR-216b-5p to fortify the expression of DLX2. Additionally, repression of TUG1 impared the progression of HCC cells by inhibiting DLX2 expression via sponging miR-216b-5p in vitro. More importantly, TUG1 knockdown inhibited HCC tumor growth in vivo through upregulating miR-216b-5p via inactivation of the DLX2. Conclusion TUG1 interacting with miR-216b-5p contributed to proliferation, metastasis, tumorigenesis and retarded apoptosis by activation of DLX2 in HCC.

scholarly journals Primary Cilia Blockage Promotes the Malignant Behaviors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Induction of Autophagy

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lian Liu ◽  
Jia-Qi Sheng ◽  
Mu-Ru Wang ◽  
Yun Gan ◽  
Xiao-Li Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Primary Cilia ◽  
The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Serum Starvation ◽  
Autophagic Flux ◽  
And Function ◽  
Hcc Cells

Primary cilia are organelles protruding from cell surface into environment that function in regulating cell cycle and modulating cilia-related signal. Primary ciliogenesis and autophagy play important roles in tumorigenesis. However, the functions and interactions between primary cilia and autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been reported yet. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship and function of primary cilia and autophagy in HCC. In vitro, we showed that serum starvation stimuli could trigger primary ciliogenesis in HCC cells. Blockage of primary ciliogenesis by IFT88 silencing enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of HCC cells. In addition, inhibition of primary cilia could positively regulate autophagy. However, the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability which were promoted by IFT88 silencing could be partly reversed by inhibition of autophagy. In vivo, interference of primary cilia led to acceleration of tumor growth and increase of autophagic flux in xenograft HCC mouse models. Moreover, IFT88 high expression or ATG7 low expression in HCC tissues was correlated with longer survival time indicated by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analysis. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that blockage of primary ciliogenesis by IFT88 silencing had protumor effects through induction of autophagy in HCC. These findings define a newly recognized role of primary cilia and autophagy in HCC.

scholarly journals Downregulation of CRABP2 Inhibit the Tumorigenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Vivo and In Vitro

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Qingmin Chen ◽  
Ludong Tan ◽  
Zhe Jin ◽  
Yahui Liu ◽  
Ze Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Tumor Stage ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Hcc Cells

Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) binds retinoic acid (RA) in the cytoplasm and transports it into the nucleus, allowing for the regulation of specific downstream signal pathway. Abnormal expression of CRABP2 has been detected in the development of several tumors. However, the role of CRABP2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has never been revealed. The current study aimed to investigate the role of CRABP2 in HCC and illuminate the potential molecular mechanisms. The expression of CRABP2 in HCC tissues and cell lines was detected by western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays. Our results demonstrated that the expression levels of CRABP2 in HCC tissues were elevated with the tumor stage development, and it was also elevated in HCC cell lines. To evaluate the function of CRABP2, shRNA-knockdown strategy was used in HCC cells. Cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis were analyzed by CCK-8, EdU staining, transwell, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Based on our results, knockdown of CRABP2 by shRNA resulted in the inhibition of tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, followed by increased tumor apoptosis-related protein expression and decreased ERK/VEGF pathway-related proteins expression. CRABP2 silencing in HCC cells also resulted in the failure to develop tumors in vivo. These results provide important insights into the role of CRABP2 in the development and development of HCC. Based on our findings, CRABP2 may be used as a novel diagnostic biomarker, and regulation of CRABP2 in HCC may provide a potential molecular target for the therapy of HCC.

scholarly journals LpCat1 Promotes Malignant Transformation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Directly Suppressing STAT1

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidan Ji ◽  
Zhangxiao Peng ◽  
Bin Sun ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
Qin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Clinical Gene Therapy ◽  
First Time ◽  
Hcc Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant cancer with rapid proliferation and high metastasis ability. To explore the crucial genes that maintain the aggressive behaviors of cancer cells is very important for clinical gene therapy of HCC. LpCat1 was reported to be highly expressed and exert pro-tumorigenic effect in a variety of cancers, including HCC. However, its detailed molecular mechanism remained unclear. In this study, we confirmed that LpCat1 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cancer cell lines. The overexpressed LpCat1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, and accelerated cell cycle progression, while knocking down LpCat1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo, and arrested HCC cells at G0/G1 phase. Moreover, we proved for the first time that LpCat1 directly interacted with STAT1 which was generally recognized as a tumor suppressor in HCC. High levels of LpCat1 in HCC could inhibit STAT1 expression, up-regulate CyclinD1, CyclinE, CDK4 and MMP-9, and decrease p27kip1 to promote cancer progression. Conversely, down-regulation of LpCat1 would cause the opposite changes to repress the viability and motility of HCC cells. Consequently, we concluded that LpCat1 was a contributor to progression and metastasis of HCC by interacting with STAT1.

scholarly journals AXL Knock-Out in SNU475 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Provides Evidence for Lethal Effect Associated with G2 Arrest and Polyploidization

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (24) ◽  
pp. 13247
Author(s):  
Tugce Batur ◽  
Ayse Argundogan ◽  
Umur Keles ◽  
Zeynep Mutlu ◽  
Hani Alotaibi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
G2 Arrest ◽  
Knock Out ◽  
Acquired Drug Resistance ◽  
Phenotypic Changes ◽  
Hcc Cells

AXL, a member of the TAM family, is a promising therapeutic target due to its elevated expression in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in association with acquired drug resistance. Previously, RNA interference was used to study its role in cancer, and several phenotypic changes, including attenuated cell proliferation and decreased migration and invasion, have been reported. The mechanism of action of AXL in HCC is elusive. We first studied the AXL expression in HCC cell lines by real-time PCR and western blot and showed its stringent association with a mesenchymal phenotype. We then explored the role of AXL in mesenchymal SNU475 cells by CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene knock-out. AXL-depleted HCC cells displayed drastic phenotypic changes, including increased DNA damage response, prolongation of doubling time, G2 arrest, and polyploidization in vitro and loss of tumorigenicity in vivo. Pharmacological inhibition of AXL by R428 recapitulated G2 arrest and polyploidy phenotype. These observations strongly suggest that acute loss of AXL in some mesenchymal HCC cells is lethal and points out that its inhibition may represent a druggable vulnerability in AXL-high HCC patients.

scholarly journals LncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 Promotes Metastasis and Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Targeting miR-3612/ADAM15 Axis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Yang ◽  
Tianxiang Chen ◽  
Bowen Yao ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Runkun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Luciferase Reporter Assay ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Reporter Assay ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Hcc Cells

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have obtained growing attention due to their potential effects as novel regulators in various tumors. This study aimed to investigate the expression and roles of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Transwell was used to determine migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. The lung metastasis mouse model was established to detect tumor metastasis of HCC in vivo. The direct binding of miR-3612 to 3'UTR of DAM15 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of ZFPM2-AS1 and miR-3612 in HCC specimens and cell lines were detected by real-time PCR. The correlation among ZFPM2-AS1 and miR-3612 were disclosed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay and biotin pull-down assay.Results: In present study, we found that ZFPM2-AS1 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cells and its upregulation was associated with TNM stage, vascular invasion, and poor prognosis of HCC patients. Functionally, gain- and loss-of-function experiments indicated that ZFPM2-AS1 promoted cell migration, invasion and EMT progress in vitro and in vivo. ZFPM2-AS1 could function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-3612 in HCC cells. Mechanically, miR-3612 inhibited HCC metastasis and alternation of miR-3612 reversed the promotive effects of ZFPM2-AS1 on HCC cells. In addition, we confirmed that ADAM15 was a direct target of miR-3612 in HCC and mediated the biological effects of miR-3612 and ZFPM2-AS1 in HCC. Curcumin, an active derivative from turmeric, exerts its anticancer effects through ZFPM2-AS1/miR-3612/ADAM15 pathway. Our data identified ZFPM2-AS1 as a novel oncogenic lncRNA and correlated malignant clinical outcomes in HCC patients. Conclusions: ZFPM2-AS1 performed as oncogenic role via targeting miR-3612 and subsequently promoted ADAM15 expression in HCC. Our results revealed that ZFPM2-AS1 could be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

scholarly journals LncRNA PITPNA-AS1 as a Potential Diagnostic Marker and Therapeutic Target Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Modulating miR-448/ROCK1 Axis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing-fang Wang ◽  
Qing-lin Wang ◽  
Ming-bo Cao
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Antisense Rna ◽  
Diagnostic Marker ◽  
Luciferase Assay ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Hcc Cells

Background: Long non-coding RNAs are critical to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developments. LncRNA PITPNA antisense RNA 1 (PITPNA-AS1) is a new regulator in several tumors. However, the mechanism by which PITPNA-AS1 mediates the tumorigenesis of HCC remains unclear.Methods: RT-qPCR was used to detect the level of PITPNA-AS1 in HCC specimens and cells. The biological functions of PITPNA-AS1 were explored by several functional experiments in vivo and in vitro. The binding relationship among PITPNA-AS1, miR-448 and ROCK1 were studied by Luciferase assay and pull-down assays.Results: We found that PITPNA-AS1 expressions were distinctly upregulated in both HCC specimens and cell lines. High PITPNA-AS1 levels were an unfavorable biomarker for patients with HCC. Functionally, knockdown of PITPNA-AS1 suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Mechanistically, PITPNA-AS1 functioned as competing endogenous RNA to increase ROCK1 expressions via sponging miR-448.Conclusion: The newly identified PITPNA-AS/miR-448/ROCK1 axis promoted the oncogenicity of HCC cells. This novel axis is likely to be a promising HCC therapeutic aim.

scholarly journals Sec62 promotes early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma through activating integrinα/CAV1 signalling

Oncogenesis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Du ◽  
Zhihao Zhao ◽  
Hetong Zhao ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Migration ◽  
Prognostic Factor ◽  
Early Recurrence ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Postsurgical Recurrence ◽  
Hcc Recurrence ◽  
Hcc Cells

AbstractPostsurgical recurrence within 2 years is the major cause of poor survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the molecular mechanism underlying HCC recurrence remains unclear. Here, we distinguish the function and mechanism of Sec62 in promoting HCC recurrence. The correlation between Sec62 and early recurrence was demonstrated in 60 HCC samples from a prospective study. HCC cells with Sec62 knockdown (Sec62KD) or overexpression (Sec62OE) were used to determine the potential of Sec62 in cell migration in vitro. Microarray analysis comparing Sec62KD or Sec62OE to their control counterparts was used to explore the mechanisms of Sec62-induced recurrence. A luciferase-labelled orthotopic nude mouse model of HCC with Sec62KD or Sec62OE was used to validate the potential of Sec62 in early HCC recurrence in vivo. We found that high expression of Sec62 was positively correlated with surgical recurrence in clinical HCC samples. Multivariate analysis revealed that Sec62 was an independent prognostic factor for early recurrence in postoperative HCC patients. Moreover, Sec62 promoted migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and postsurgical recurrence in vivo. Mechanically, integrinα/CAV1 signalling was identified as one of the targets of Sec62 in cell movement. Overexpression of integrin α partially rescued the Sec62 knockdown-induced inhibition of cell migration. Sec62 is a potentially prognostic factor for early recurrence in postoperative HCC patients and promotes HCC metastasis through integrinα/CAV1 signalling. Sec62 might be an attractive drug target for combating HCC postsurgical recurrence.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Targeting and Pharmacodynamics of Paclitaxel Nanoliposomes Modified by Glycyrrhetinic Acid and Ferric Tetroxide

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Zhao ◽  
Leyi Liang ◽  
Mimi Guo ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Xuesong Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Targeted Delivery ◽  
Average Particle Size ◽  
In Vitro Release ◽  
Glycyrrhetinic Acid ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Average Particle ◽  
Hcc Cells

Aims: Research on developing targeted delivery of anticancer drugs for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is ongoing. This study aimed at synthesizing nanoliposomes modified by glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and ferric tetroxide (Fe3O4) for targeted delivery of paclitaxel for selective and specific therapy of HCC. Objective: During this project, GA and Fe3O4 were used to jointly modify the active targeting and magnetic orientation of paclitaxel nanoliposomes for enhanced targeting of HCC to improve the efficacy, while reducing the systemic toxicity and side effects of the drug. Methods: In this study, liposomes were prepared to utilize a thin film dispersion method, in which the average particle size of GA/Fe3O4-PTX-LP was 148.9 ± 2.3 nm, and the average Zeta potential was -23.2 ± 3 mV. Based on the TEM characterization, GA/Fe3O4-PTX-LP is a closed particle with bilayer membranes. In vitro release assessments of the drug indicated that the release of GA/Fe3O4-PTX-LP was sustained. Results: In vitro cell tests have demonstrated that GA/Fe3O 4-PTX-LP can inhibit the proliferation, affect the morphology, migration and invasion, and interfere with the cycle of HCC cells. Uptake tests have confirmed that GA/Fe3O4-PTX-LP can promote the uptake of the drug in HCC cells. Conclusion: In vivo targeting experiments have shown that GA/Fe3O4-PTX-LP has a strong ability to target tumors. In vivo antitumor assessments have proven that GA/Fe3O4-PTX-LP can inhibit tumor growth without obvious toxicity. This project provides a promising nano-targeted drug delivery system for the treatment of HCC.

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