Abstract
Background: The cytoplasmic isoform of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) is a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis. Mounting studies have shown that PCK1 plays a key role in human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, the mRNA expression, the prognostic value and the gene networks of PCK1 in HCC were investigated.Methods: Expression analysis of PCK1 in HCC was obtained from Oncomine, UALCAN, Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and HCC samples. Prognostic value related to PCK1 expression in HCC patients were evaluated by Kaplan–Meier Plotter. The function effects were analyzed by constructing xenograft tumor mice. Gene functional enrichment was performed via LinkedOmics and GeneMANIA.Results: PCK1 expression at mRNA level and protein level was both downregulated in liver cancer tissues compared with normal liver tissues. The decreased expression of PCK1 at protein level was also validated in collected HCC samples. What’s more, PCK1 expression was negatively associated with cancer stages, tumor grades and metastasis nodal of HCC. Meanwhile, decreased mRNA expression of PCK1 was associated with poor overall survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, PCK1 overexpression in xenograft tumor of nude mice repressed hepatoma tumor growth and made hepatoma mice survive longer. Next, enrichment and functional interaction analysis of PCK1 in HCC by using LinkedOmics and GeneMANIA suggested that PCK1 and neighbor genes were involved in the spliceosome, cell cycle, DNA replication pathways.Conclusions: In sum, our results reveal the PCK1 expression patterns, the potential prognosis value and predicted functional network in HCC, which illuminates the key role of PCK1 in HCC development.
Analysis of mRNA Expression Patterns in Peripheral Blood Cells of 3 Patients With Cancer After the First Fraction of 2 Gy Irradiation: An Integrated Case Report and Systematic Review