Coordinated expression of cyclin D1 and LEF-1/TCF transcription factor is restricted to a subset of hepatocellular carcinoma

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 839-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Schmitt-Graeff ◽  
Viktoria Ertelt-Heitzmann ◽  
Hans-Peter Allgaier ◽  
Manfred Olschewski ◽  
Roland Nitschke ◽  
...  
2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 700-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Yu ◽  
Hong-lei Jiang ◽  
Dong Xu ◽  
Jun-zhe Jin ◽  
Zhe-ming Zhao ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: MafB, a member of the Maf transcription factor family, plays a key role in the regulation of pancreatic alpha and beta cell differentiation. However, its function in the control of cancer cell proliferation remains unknown. Methods: The mRNA and protein expression levels of MafB in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and adjacent non-tumor normal specimens were determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Report assay was performed to determine whether the regulation of Cyclin D1 by MafB is at the transcriptional level. The binding of MafB to the Cyclin D1 promoter was determined by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. To determine the potential oncogenic effects of MafB in vivo, HepG2 cells transfected with adenovirus containing empty vector or MafB were injected subcutaneously to the skin under the front legs of the nude mice. Results: In the current study, we showed that MafB was markedly up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cells. Enforced overexpression of MafB enhanced, while its deficiency inhibited HCC cell proliferation. Mechanistically, Cyclin D1, an important regulator of cell cycle progression, was identified as a direct transcriptional target of MafB. Consistently, knockdown of Cyclin D1 largely attenuated the proliferative roles of MafB in HCC cells. Importantly, MafB overexpression significantly promoted cancer cell growth in mice. Conclusions: Collectively, our results identified a novel HCC regulatory pathway involving MafB and Cyclin D1, the dysfunction of which drives proliferative character in HCC.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 367-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng-xia Wang ◽  
Si-neng Yin ◽  
Gang Tian ◽  
Xian-lin Chen

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate the expression as well as biological roles of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.MethodsReal time PCR and western blot were applied to detect the expression of ATF3 in human HCC specimens. MTT assay was used to analyze cell proliferation after ATF3 was overexpressed. The expression of cyclin D1 was detected by real time PCR in ATF3-silenced/-overexpressed cells and HCC samples. Correlation coefficient was finally analyzed between ATF3 and cyclin D1 in the HCC samples.ResultsThe expression of ATF3 was found to be downregulated in tested HCC specimens. Cellular MTT assays showed that cell proliferation was suppressed in ATF3-overexpressing HepG2 cells. In addition, cyclin D1 gene expression exhibited negative correlation with ATF3 in both cell lines and tissue samples.ConclusionLow expression of ATF3 may function as a tumor suppressor via inhibiting cyclin D1 in HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1700
Author(s):  
Jihye Seo ◽  
Jain Ha ◽  
Eunjeong Kang ◽  
Haelim Yoon ◽  
Sewoong Lee ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer, is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. As HCC has a high mortality rate and its incidence is increasing worldwide, understanding and treating HCC are crucial for resolving major public health concerns. In the present study, wound healing screening assays were performed using natural product libraries to identify natural chemicals that can inhibit cancer cell migration. Glaucarubinone (GCB) showed a high potential for inhibiting cell migration. The anti-cancer effects of GCB were evaluated using the HCC cell line, Huh7. GCB showed anti-cancer effects, as verified by wound healing, cell migration, invasion, colony formation, and three-dimensional spheroid invasion assays. In addition, cells treated with GCB showed suppressed matrix metalloproteinase activities. Immunoblotting analyses of intracellular signaling pathways revealed that GCB regulated the levels of Twist1, a crucial transcription factor associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and mitogen-activated protein kinase. The invasive ability of cancer cells was found to be decreased by the regulation of Twist1 protein levels. Furthermore, GCB downregulated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. These results indicate that GCB exhibits anti-metastatic properties in Huh7 cells, suggesting that it could be used to treat HCC.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinghui Zhao ◽  
Zhanzhong Zhao ◽  
Junwei Guo ◽  
Peitang Huang ◽  
Xudong Zhu ◽  
...  

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an independent risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV HBx gene is frequently identified as an integrant in the chromosomal DNA of patients with HCC. HBx encodes the X protein (HBx), a putative viral oncoprotein that affects transcriptional regulation of several cellular genes. Therefore, HBx may be an ideal target to impede the progression of HBV infection–related HCC. In this study, integrated HBx was transcriptionally downregulated using an artificial transcription factor (ATF). Two three-fingered Cys2-His2 zinc finger (ZF) motifs that specifically recognized two 9-bp DNA sequences regulating HBx expression were identified from a phage-display library. The ZF domains were linked into a six-fingered protein that specified an 18-bp DNA target in the Enhancer I region upstream of HBx. This DNA-binding domain was fused with a Krüppel-associated box (KRAB) transcriptional repression domain to produce an ATF designed to downregulate HBx integrated into the Hep3B HCC cell line. The ATF significantly repressed HBx in a luciferase reporter assay. Stably expressing the ATF in Hep3B cells resulted in significant growth arrest, whereas stably expressing the ATF in an HCC cell line lacking integrated HBx (HepG2) had virtually no effect. The targeted downregulation of integrated HBx is a promising novel approach to inhibiting the progression of HBV infection–related HCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherin Zakaria ◽  
Abeer Ansary ◽  
Nabil M. Abdel-Hamid ◽  
Mamdouh M. ElShishtawy

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the 6th prevalent cancer and the 4th leading cause of cancer related deaths all over the world. A major challenge for sorafenib, the standard chemotherapeutic agent in HCC treatment, is the chemo-resistance. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the role of dantrolene as a possible antineoplastic agent in HCC, and in chemo-sensitization of sorafenib via targeting Ca+2/PI3K pathway. Methods: HCC was induced in rats using a single dose of diethyl nitrosamine (DENA) (200 mg/kg, ip), followed by phenobarbital sodium (0.05%) in drinking water for 18 weeks. At the end of 18th week, rats were allocated into 4 groups (10 rats/each), one group was left without treatment (DENA group) and the other three groups were treated with either sorafenib, dantrolene, or their combination for further 4 weeks. One day after last injection, serum and liver tissues were collected. Liver tissue p53, VEGF, MMP-9, Cyclin D1, PI3K, and, serum AFP were assessed using immunoassay. Hepatic and serum Ca+2 were also computed. Furthermore, Ki67 was assessed immunohistochemically. Results: Dantrolene exhibited synergistic effect when used in combination with sorafenib compared to either drug alone (p <0.05) through decreasing p53, VEGF, MMP-9, Cyclin D1, and Ki-67. In addition, dantrolene was evidenced to have an inhibitory effect on Ca+2/PI3K pathway that mediates its antineoplastic action when used alone or in combination with sorafenib. Conclusion: Dantrolene exerted antineoplastic effect as well as augmented sorafenib antineoplastic activity via intervention of Ca+2/PI3K pathway, manifested by ameliorating angiogenesis, apoptosis, proliferation and metastasis.


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