Loss of N-cadherin is associated with loss of E-cadherin expression and poor outcomes of liver resection in hepatocellular carcinoma

HBx promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by repressing the transcription level of miR-187-5p

HBV-associated hepatitis B virus x protein (HBx) plays multiple roles in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In our prior study, we discovered that miR-187-5p expression was inhibited by HBx. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of HBx-mediated miR-187-5p downregulation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, effects of HBx and miR-187-5p on hepatoma carcinoma cell were observed, as well as their interactions. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that overexpression of miR-187-5p inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion. Simultaneously, we observed a dysregulation in the expression of miR-187-5p in liver cancer cell lines, which may be attributed to transcriptional inhibition through the E2F1/FoxP3 axis. Additionally, we noted that HBx protein is capable of enhancing the expression of E2F1, a transcription factor that promotes the expression of FoxP3. In conclusion, our results suggest that the inhibitory effect of HBx on miR-187-5p is mediated through the E2F1/FoxP3 axis. As shown in this work, HBx promotes hepatoma carcinoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the E2F1/FoxP3/miR-187 axis. It provides a theoretical basis for finding therapeutic targets that will help clinic treatment for HCC.

Clonorchis sinensis legumain promotes migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells via regulating tumor-related molecules

BACKGROUND

Clonorchis sinensis infection causes serious pathological changes in the bile duct and is highly correlated with cholangiocarcinoma. The excretory-secretory products (ESP) of C. sinensis play a critical role in the oncogenesis and progression of cholangiocarcinoma, while the components and precise mechanism remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the function of C. sinensis legumain (Cslegumain) in promoting the invasion and migration of cholangiocarcinoma cells and the mechanism involved.

METHODS

The structural and molecular characteristics of Cslegumain were predicted and analyzed using the online program Phyre2. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining were performed to test the transcriptional level of Cslegumain and its localization in the adult. Native Cslegumain was detected by western blotting assay. The effects of Cslegumain on the proliferation, invasion and migration of cholangiocarcinoma cells were checked using CCK-8 assay, Matrigel transwell assay and scratch wound healing assay. Expression levels of tumor-related molecules regulated by Cslegumain were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blotting assay.

RESULTS

Cslegumain showed high similarity with human legumain in the secondary and tertiary structures and displayed higher transcriptional levels in the adult worm than in the metacercariae. Native Cslegumain was detected in a catalytic form and was localized mainly in the intestine of the C. sinensis adult and epithelial cells of the intrahepatic bile duct. After transfection into RBE cells, Cslegumain showed high ability in promoting the invasion and migration but not the proliferation of cholangiocarcinoma RBE cells. Furthermore, the expression levels of some molecules including E-cadherin and N-cadherin were downregulated, while the levels of α-actinin 4, β-catenin and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were upregulated.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that Cslegumain showed very similar structures as those of human legumain and could promote the invasion and migration of cholangiocarcinoma cells by regulating some tumor-related molecules.

MicroRNA-206 suppresses growth and metastasis of breast cancer stem cells via blocking EVI-1-mediated CALR expression

Aim to investigate the effect of miR-206 on the growth and metastasis of breast cancer stem cells and clarify the precise mechanism of miR-206 on EVI-1-mediated CALR expression in driving malignant phenotype. Our results showed that miR-206 mimics suppressed CALR expression, inhibited the proliferation and metastasis ability of breast cancer stem cells and finally induced cellular apoptosis. Over-expression of CALR could effectively attenuate the cytotoxic effect of miR-206. Further studies demonstrated that EVI-1 could be served as a key regulator of miR206-mediated CALR expression. Elevation of EVI-1 can reverse the function of miR-206 on induction of CALR.

Quantitative Expression of Key Cancer Markers in the AS-30D Hepatocarcinoma Model

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the cancers with the highest mortality rate worldwide. HCC is often diagnosed when the disease is already in an advanced stage, making the discovery and implementation of biomarkers for the disease a critical aim in cancer research. In this study, we aim to quantify the transcript levels of key signaling molecules relevant to different pathways known to participate in tumorigenesis, with special emphasis on those related to cancer hallmarks and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, using as a model the murine transplantable hepatocarcinoma AS-30D. Using qPCR to quantify the mRNA levels of genes involved in tumorigenesis, we found elevated levels for Tgfb1 and Spp1, two master regulators of EMT. A mesenchymal signature profile for AS-30D cells is also supported by the overexpression of genes encoding for molecules known to be associated to aggressiveness and metastatic phenotypes such as Foxm1, C-met, and Inppl1. This study supports the use of the AS-30D cells as an efficient and cost-effective model to study gene expression changes in HCC, especially those associated with the EMT process.

c-Src promotes the growth and tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma via the Hippo signaling pathway

We investigated the association between c-Src and the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its underlying mechanisms. The relationship between c-Src expression and the occurrence and development of HCC was explored using GEPIA and further confirmed by western blotting analysis and real-time quantitative PCR. CCK-8, flow cytometry, Transwell, and wound-healing assays were conducted to analyze the effects of c-Src on the growth, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and infiltration of HCC cells. Mouse models of transplanted xenogeneic human tumors were constructed to explore the effects of c-Src on HCC tumor growth. Compared with that in adjacent normal liver tissues, the expression level of c-Src in HCC tissues was significantly increased and was negatively correlated with patient survival. These findings are consistent with those in the GEPIA database. Downregulation of c-Src expression can inhibit the growth, infiltration, and migration of HCC cells. c-Src impeded the translocation of YAP from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and promoted Yes-associated protein transcriptional activity. In vivo experiments showed that c-Src inhibition suppressed tumor growth in mice. We found that c-Src can promote the growth and tumorigenesis of HCC cells by activating the Hippo signaling pathway.

Bioinformatics analysis of LINC01554 and its co‑expressed genes in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality globally. Despite the remarkable improvements in comprehensive HCC treatment, the underlying mechanistic details of HCC remain elusive. We screened HCC patients for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE113850) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. LINC01554 expression in 40 paired samples was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and its clinical significance was assessed. LINC01554 was found to have a gain-of-function role in HCC in vitro. Additionally, the bioinformatics analysis of the genes co-expressed with LINC01554 was performed using the Co-LncRNA website, and potential molecular mechanisms were investigated using the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes resources and validated by in vitro experiments. A total of 229 DEGs were identified from the GSE113850 dataset. Among the identified DEGs, three long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (DIO3OS, LINC01554, and LINC01093) with |logFC| ≥2 and P<0.05 were screened. A total of 148 lncRNAs with |logFC| ≥1 and P<0.05 were identified from TCGA dataset. Low LINC01554 expression levels were significantly correlated with overall survival, pathological stage, hepatitis B infection, tumour size, portal vein tumour thrombus, and TNM stage. Using gain-of-function assays, we further showed that LINC01554 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of the HCCLM9 and SK-Hep1 cells and promoted G0/G1 arrest, but it did not significantly affect apoptosis. Western blotting revealed that LINC01554 overexpression resulted in increased ZO-1 and E-cadherin expression levels, but decreased N-cadherin and vimentin expression levels. Moreover, LINC01554 overexpression inhibited Akt, p-Akt, β-catenin, and p-Gsk3β expression. Our results showed that LINC01554 repressed HCC cell invasiveness and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition partly by inhibiting Wnt and PI3K-Akt signalling in vitro. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying HCC tumourigenesis and implicate LINC01554 as a potential target for HCC therapy.

Crosstalk between miR-215 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition specific markers (E-cadherin and N-cadherin) in different stages of chronic HCV Infection

The main causes of death among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are a recurrence, metastasis, and deterioration of primary tumors by the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) which is controlled by several molecules including E-cadherin and N-cadherin. Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) have been identified to play a regulatory role in EMT. miR-215 is important in repressing migration/invasion of cancer cells. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the crosstalk between miR-215 and EMT specific markers (E-cadherin and N-cadherin) with a spotlight on its role in the EMT process in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. One hundred forty-five patients were studied, 75 had HCV-induced cirrhosis classified into child A, B, and C and 25 had HCC. In parallel, 45 healthy volunteers considered as controls. Serum levels of E- and N-cadherin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and miR-215 expression measured by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Insignificant change in serum levels of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in HCV-infected patients compared with normal controls was observed with a slight increase in E-cadherin and N-cadherin in the child B group. HCC patients had the lowest amount of E-cadherin and N-cadherin compared with cirrhotic and normal subjects. A maximum reduction in miR-215 was observed in HCC patients compared with cirrhotic and control ones. A positive correlation (r = .202; P < .05) was observed between miR-215 and E-cadherin. Our data stressed on the potential role of miR-215 as an important mediator in HCC progression. miRNAs participating in EMT needs further studies to provide insight into the metastasis of HCC.

Long non-coding RNA H19 promotes the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells and regulates the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin

Background

This study aimed to explore the effect of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) H19 on the proliferation and invasion of lung carcinoma cells A549, and to determine its molecular targets.

Methods

A549 cells were with either LncRNA H19 or LncRNA H19 shRNA, and the expression levels of LncRNA H19 were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). We measured cell proliferation using the CCK-8 assay, cell counting assays, and colony formation assay in response to shLncRNA H19-2. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by wound healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin were determined by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively.

Results

The three LncRNA H19 shRNAs used in our study significantly reduced the expression levels of LncRNA H19 in A549 cells (P<0.05). Moreover, LncRNA H19 shRNA 2 (shLncRNA-2) was the most potent inhibitor of LncRNA H19 expression, and was selected for further experimentation. Transfection with shLncRNA H19-2 significantly decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 cells, while overexpression of LncRNA H19 had the opposite effect in these cells (P<0.05). In response to shLncRNA H19-2, the expression levels of E-cadherin were notably elevated (P<0.05), while the expression levels of N-cadherin and vimentin were decreased (P<0.05). In contrast, overexpression of LncRNA H19 induced the expression of E-cadherin, and blocked the expression of N-cadherin, and vimentin (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that LncRNA H19 mediates the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells via upregulation of N-cadherin and vimentin, and downregulation of E-cadherin.

KLF4-Mediated CDH3 Upregulation Suppresses Human Hepatoma Cell Growth and Migration via GSK-3β Signaling

P-cadherin (CDH3), a classical cell adhesion molecule involved in tissue integrity and cell localization, has been implicated in many types of cancer. However, little is known about its function and regulatory mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we report that CDH3 was positively regulated by kr¨uppel-like transcription factor 4 (KLF4), which is a crucial tumor suppressor gene in HCC, at mRNA level in HCC cell lines. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that KLF4 directly bound to CDH3 promoter and transcriptionally activated CDH3 expression. Consistently, CDH3 expression was closely related with KLF4 expression in patients' samples and both proteins exhibited a downregulated expression pattern in cancer samples. Functionally, enforced CDH3 expression suppressed and silenced CDH3 expression promoted HCC cell growth and migration in vitro. Mechanistically, we observed that GSK-3β was regulated by CDH3 and may function as a possible downstream effector of CDH3. Knockdown of GSK-3β showed a similar phenotype with CDH3 silencing. Taken together, these findings establish the KLF4/CDH3/GSK-3β axis as an important regulatory mechanism in HCC development.

Role for the transcriptional activator ZRF1 in early metastatic events in breast cancer progression and endocrine resistance

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women which is often treated with hormone therapy and chemotherapy. Despite the improvements in detection and treatment of breast cancer, the vast majority of breast cancer patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease either at the beginning of the disease or later during treatment. Still, the molecular mechanisms causing a therapy resistant metastatic breast cancer are still elusive. In the present study we addressed the function of the transcriptional activator ZRF1 during breast cancer progression. We provide evidence that ZRF1 plays an essential role for the early metastatic events in vitro and acts like a tumor suppressor protein during the progression of breast invasive ductal carcinoma into a more advanced stage. Hence, depletion of ZRF1 results in the acquisition of metastatic behavior by facilitating the initiation of the metastatic cascade, notably for cell adhesion, migration and invasion. Furthermore absence of ZRF1 provokes endocrine resistance via misregulation of cell death and cell survival related pathways. Taken together, we have identified ZRF1 as an important regulator of breast cancer progression that holds the potential to be explored for new treatment strategies in the future.

Upregulated N-cadherin expression is associated with poor prognosis in epithelial-derived solid tumours: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

N-cadherin is an important molecular in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and has been reported to be associated with aggressive behaviours of tumours. However, prognostic value of N-cadherin in solid malignancies remains controversially.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Pubmed/MELINE and EMBASE databases were used for a comprehensive literature searching. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to quantify the prognostic role.

RESULTS

Involving 36 studies with 5705 patients were performed to investigate relationships between N-cadherin upregulation and clinicopathological features, survival. Results suggested upregulated N-cadherin was associated with lymph node metastasis (RR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.00, 1.35]), higher histological grade (RR = 1.36, 95%CI [1.14, 1.62]), angiolymphatic invasion (RR = 1.19, 95% CI [1.06, 1.34]) and advanced clinical stage (RR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.06, 1.64]), while upregulated N-cadherin was apt to be associated with distant metastasis (RR = 1.43, 95% CI [0.99, 2.05]). Moreover, N-cadherin was correlated with poor prognosis of 3-year survival (HR = 1.78, 95% CI [1.51, 2.10]), 5-year survival (HR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.17, 2.10]) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.20, 1.44]). Subgroup analyses according to cancer types were also conducted for applying these conclusions to some tumours more properly. No publication bias was found except subgroup analysis of distant metastasis (P = .652 for Begg's test and 0.023 for Egger's test).

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, upregulation of N-cadherin is associated with more aggressive behaviours of epithelial-derived solid malignancies and can be regarded as a predictor of poor survival.

Functional microRNA high throughput screening reveals miR-9 as a central regulator of liver oncogenesis by affecting the PPARA-CDH1 pathway

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, reflecting the aggressiveness of this type of cancer and the absence of effective therapeutic regimens. MicroRNAs have been involved in the pathogenesis of different types of cancers, including liver cancer. Our aim was to identify microRNAs that have both functional and clinical relevance in HCC and examine their downstream signaling effectors.

Methods

MicroRNA and gene expression levels were measured by quantitative real-time PCR in HCC tumors and controls. A TargetScan algorithm was used to identify miR-9 downstream direct targets.

Results

A high-throughput screen of the human microRNAome revealed 28 microRNAs as regulators of liver cancer cell invasiveness. MiR-9, miR-21 and miR-224 were the top inducers of HCC invasiveness and also their expression was increased in HCC relative to control liver tissues. Integration of the microRNA screen and expression data revealed miR-9 as the top microRNA, having both functional and clinical significance. MiR-9 levels correlated with HCC tumor stage and miR-9 overexpression induced SNU-449 and HepG2 cell growth, invasiveness and their ability to form colonies in soft agar. Bioinformatics and 3′UTR luciferase analyses identified E-cadherin (CDH1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) as direct downstream effectors of miR-9 activity. Inhibition of PPARA suppressed CDH1 mRNA levels, suggesting that miR-9 regulates CDH1 expression directly through binding in its 3′UTR and indirectly through PPARA. On the other hand, miR-9 inhibition of overexpression suppressed HCC tumorigenicity and invasiveness. PPARA and CDH1 mRNA levels were decreased in HCC relative to controls and were inversely correlated with miR-9 levels.

Conclusions

Taken together, this study revealed the involvement of the miR-9/PPARA/CDH1 signaling pathway in HCC oncogenesis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1562-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.