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Xu Y, Qi W, Zheng C, Li Y, Lu Z, Guan J, Lu C, Zhao B. Loss of the vitamin D receptor triggers senescence in chronic myeloid leukemia via DDIT4-mediated DNA damage. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 15:mjad066. [PMID: 37880985 PMCID: PMC11190374 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematopoietic malignancy driven by the fusion gene BCR::ABL1. Drug resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), due to BCR::ABL1 mutations and residual leukemia stem cells (LSCs), remains a major challenge in CML treatment. Here, we revealed the requirement of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the progression of CML. VDR was upregulated by BCR::ABL1 and highly expressed in CML cells. Interestingly, VDR knockdown inhibited the proliferation of CML cells driven by both BCR::ABL1 and TKI-resistant BCR::ABL1 mutations. Mechanistically, VDR transcriptionally regulated DDIT4 expression; reduced DDIT4 levels upon VDR knockdown triggered DNA damage and senescence via p53 signaling activation in CML cells. Furthermore, VDR deficiency not only suppressed tumor burden and progression in primary CML mice but also reduced the self-renewal capacity of CML-LSCs. Together, our study demonstrated that targeting VDR is a promising strategy to overcome TKI resistance and eradicate LSCs in CML.
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MESH Headings
- Receptors, Calcitriol/metabolism
- Receptors, Calcitriol/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/pathology
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/genetics
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy
- Animals
- DNA Damage
- Humans
- Mice
- Cell Proliferation
- Cellular Senescence/genetics
- Cellular Senescence/drug effects
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transcription Factors/genetics
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism
- Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics
- Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/metabolism
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/pathology
- Signal Transduction
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Key Lab of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Wentao Qi
- Key Lab of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Chengzu Zheng
- Key Lab of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Key Lab of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Zhiyuan Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Jianmin Guan
- Department of Hematology, Heze Municipal Hospital, Heze 274031, China
| | - Chunhua Lu
- Key Lab of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Baobing Zhao
- Key Lab of Chemical Biology (MOE), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Technology Research and Evaluation of Drug Products, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
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2
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Yadav D, Sharma PK, Mishra PS, Malviya R. The Potential of Stem Cells in Treating Breast Cancer. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 19:324-333. [PMID: 37132308 DOI: 10.2174/1574888x18666230428094056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
There has been a lot of interest in stem cell therapy as a means of curing disease in recent years. Despite extensive usage of stem cell therapy in the treatment of a wide range of medical diseases, it has been hypothesized that it plays a key part in the progression of cancer. Breast cancer is still the most frequent malignancy in women globally. However, the latest treatments, such as stem cell targeted therapy, are considered to be more effective in preventing recurrence, metastasis, and chemoresistance of breast cancer than older methods like chemotherapy and radiation. This review discusses the characteristics of stem cells and how stem cells may be used to treat breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Yadav
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pramod Kumar Sharma
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prem Shankar Mishra
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rishabha Malviya
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Zhang S, Yang R, Ouyang Y, Shen Y, Hu L, Xu C. Cancer stem cells: a target for overcoming therapeutic resistance and relapse. Cancer Biol Med 2023; 20:j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0333. [PMID: 38164743 PMCID: PMC10845928 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cells in cancers that are thought to initiate tumorous transformation and promote metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to treatment. Growing evidence has revealed the existence of CSCs in various types of cancers and suggested that CSCs differentiate into diverse lineage cells that contribute to tumor progression. We may be able to overcome the limitations of cancer treatment with a comprehensive understanding of the biological features and mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in CSCs. This review provides an overview of the properties, biomarkers, and mechanisms of resistance shown by CSCs. Recent findings on metabolic features, especially fatty acid metabolism and ferroptosis in CSCs, are highlighted, along with promising targeting strategies. Targeting CSCs is a potential treatment plan to conquer cancer and prevent resistance and relapse in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610042, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Chengdu Wenjiang District People’s Hospital, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yujie Ouyang
- Acupuncture and Massage College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Lanlin Hu
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Yu-Yue Pathology Scientific Research Center, Chongqing 400039, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Yu-Yue Pathology Scientific Research Center, Chongqing 400039, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China
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Zeng L, Zhu Y, Moreno CS, Wan Y. New insights into KLFs and SOXs in cancer pathogenesis, stemness, and therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 90:29-44. [PMID: 36806560 PMCID: PMC10023514 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite the development of cancer therapies, the success of most treatments has been impeded by drug resistance. The crucial role of tumor cell plasticity has emerged recently in cancer progression, cancer stemness and eventually drug resistance. Cell plasticity drives tumor cells to reversibly convert their cell identity, analogous to differentiation and dedifferentiation, to adapt to drug treatment. This phenotypical switch is driven by alteration of the transcriptome. Several pluripotent factors from the KLF and SOX families are closely associated with cancer pathogenesis and have been revealed to regulate tumor cell plasticity. In this review, we particularly summarize recent studies about KLF4, KLF5 and SOX factors in cancer development and evolution, focusing on their roles in cancer initiation, invasion, tumor hierarchy and heterogeneity, and lineage plasticity. In addition, we discuss the various regulation of these transcription factors and related cutting-edge drug development approaches that could be used to drug "undruggable" transcription factors, such as PROTAC and PPI targeting, for targeted cancer therapy. Advanced knowledge could pave the way for the development of novel drugs that target transcriptional regulation and could improve the outcome of cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Zeng
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Department of Hematology and oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Yueming Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Department of Hematology and oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Carlos S Moreno
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
| | - Yong Wan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Department of Hematology and oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, USA.
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He Z, He J, Xie K. KLF4 transcription factor in tumorigenesis. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:118. [PMID: 37031197 PMCID: PMC10082813 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01416-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Krüppel-like transcriptional factor is important in maintaining cellular functions. Deletion of Krüppel-like transcriptional factor usually causes abnormal embryonic development and even embryonic death. KLF4 is a prominent member of this family, and embryonic deletion of KLF4 leads to alterations in skin permeability and postnatal death. In addition to its important role in embryo development, it also plays a critical role in inflammation and malignancy. It has been investigated that KLF4 has a regulatory role in a variety of cancers, including lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, pancreatic, hepatocellular, ovarian, esophageal, bladder and brain cancer. However, the role of KLF4 in tumorigenesis is complex, which may link to its unique structure with both transcriptional activation and transcriptional repression domains, and to the regulation of its upstream and downstream signaling molecules. In this review, we will summarize the structural and functional aspects of KLF4, with a focus on KLF4 as a clinical biomarker and therapeutic target in different types of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong He
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- The South China University of Technology Comprehensive Cancer Center, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie He
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangdong, China
| | - Keping Xie
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
- The South China University of Technology Comprehensive Cancer Center, Guangdong, China.
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Alshaibi HF, Bakhashab S, Almuhammadi A, Althobaiti YS, Baghdadi MA, Alsolami K. Protective Effect of Vitamin D against Hepatic Molecular Apoptosis Caused by a High-Fat Diet in Rats. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:479-489. [PMID: 36661517 PMCID: PMC9857557 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The protective effects of vitamin D (VitD) in different diseases were studied. The liver is of great interest, especially with the presence of VitD receptors. A high-fat diet (HFD) is associated with many diseases, including liver injury. Consumption of saturated fatty acids triggers hepatic apoptosis and is associated with increased inflammation. We aimed in this study to investigate the protective effects of VitD on hepatic molecular apoptotic changes in response to an HFD in rats. Forty male Wistar albino rats were used and divided into four groups: control, HFD, control + VitD, and VitD-supplemented HFD (HFD + VitD) groups. After six months, the rats were sacrificed, and the livers were removed. RNA was extracted from liver tissues and used for the quantitative real-time RT-PCR of different genes: B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (BCL2), BCL-2-associated X protein (Bax), Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS), FAS ligand (FASL), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The results showed that an HFD increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax, FAS, and FASL, and reduced the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2. Interestingly, a VitD-supplemented HFD significantly increased the BCL2 expression and decreased the expression of all pro-apoptotic genes and TNFα. In conclusion, VitD has a protective role against hepatic molecular apoptotic changes in response to an HFD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huda F. Alshaibi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Embryonic Stem Cell Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +966-504687127
| | - Sherin Bakhashab
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Almuhammadi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Biology Department, College of Science, Jouf University, P.O. Box 2014, Sakaka 72388, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yusuf S. Althobaiti
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Addiction and Neuroscience Research Unit, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A. Baghdadi
- Research Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khadeejah Alsolami
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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7
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SP and KLF Transcription Factors in Cancer Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179956. [PMID: 36077352 PMCID: PMC9456310 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor development and progression depend on reprogramming of signaling pathways that regulate cell metabolism. Alterations to various metabolic pathways such as glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, lipid metabolism, and hexosamine biosynthesis pathway are crucial to sustain increased redox, bioenergetic, and biosynthesis demands of a tumor cell. Transcription factors (oncogenes and tumor suppressors) play crucial roles in modulating these alterations, and their functions are tethered to major metabolic pathways under homeostatic conditions and disease initiation and advancement. Specificity proteins (SPs) and Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are closely related transcription factors characterized by three highly conserved zinc fingers domains that interact with DNA. Studies have demonstrated that SP and KLF transcription factors are expressed in various tissues and regulate diverse processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. This review highlights the role of SP and KLF transcription factors in the metabolism of various cancers and their impact on tumorigenesis. A better understanding of the role and underlying mechanisms governing the metabolic changes during tumorigenesis could provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer treatment.
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Wei T, Lin R, Fu X, Lu Y, Zhang W, Li Z, Zhang J, Wang H. Epigenetic regulation of the DNMT1/MT1G/KLF4/CA9 axis synergizes the anticancer effects of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2022; 180:106244. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Li Y, Feng R, Yu X, Li L, Liu Y, Zhang R, Chen X, Zhao Y, Liu Z. SLC35E2 promoter mutation as a prognostic marker of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Life Sci 2022; 296:120447. [PMID: 35247439 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the deadliest digestive tract cancer with poor prognosis. In our previous comprehensive genomics study, we identified that hotspot mutations in the solute carrier family 35 member E2 (SLC35E2) promoter region was significantly associated with worse prognosis in patients with ESCC. However, the biological function and molecular mechanism of SLC35E2 remains unclear. This study was to investigate the malignant function and mechanism of SLC35E2 in ESCC. MAIN METHODS Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to assess the expression of SLC35E2 in ESCC cell lines. Luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay were used to assess the transcriptional inhibition of KLF4. Incucyte cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay and subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice were used to assess the malignant function of SLC35E2. KEY FINDINGS SLC35E2 can promote ESCC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a transcriptional repressor in ESCC, binds to the SLC35E2 promoter and represses the expression of SLC35E2. The transcriptional suppression of KLF4 can be blocked by the mutation at -118 site of the SLC35E2 promoter. Besides, the accumulation of SLC35E2 expression contributes to the malignant phenotype of ESCC. SIGNIFICANCE These results indicate that SLC35E2 may be used as a biomarker for prognosis as well as a therapeutic target for patients with ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Riyue Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Lei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yuhao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ruixiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiankai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yahui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Zhihua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
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Markotić A, Kelava T, Markotić H, Silovski H, Mrzljak A. Vitamin D in liver cancer: novel insights and future perspectives. Croat Med J 2022; 63:187-196. [PMID: 35505652 DOI: pmid/35505652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D has been a focus of attention in liver cancer due to its direct and indirect antineoplastic effects. This review critically evaluates data from recently published basic and clinical studies investigating the role of vitamin D in liver cancer. Basic studies indicate that vitamin D plays an important role in liver cancer development by suppressing the activity of hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells. Furthermore, vitamin D has a direct anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic, proapoptotic, and prodifferentiative effect on liver cancer cells. Recent investigation suggested several interesting mechanisms of these actions, such as inactivation of Notch signaling, p27 accumulation, and tyrosine-protein kinase Met/extracellular signal-regulated kinases inhibition. On the other hand, data from clinical observational studies, although promising, are still inconclusive. Unfortunately, studies on the effect of vitamin D supplementation were generally focused on short-term outcomes of chronic liver diseases (liver enzyme levels or elastographic finding); therefore, there are still no reliable data on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on liver cancer occurrence or survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomislav Kelava
- Tomislav Kelava, Department of Physiology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Šalata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia,
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11
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DUB3/KLF4 combats tumor growth and chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:166. [PMID: 35383144 PMCID: PMC8983766 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-00988-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the role of deubiquitinating enzyme 3 (DUB3) in the regulation of Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gain- and loss-of-function assay, luciferase reporter assay, co-immunoprecipitation, and intracellular and extracellular deubiquitination assays were conducted in vitro. A tumor xenograft mouse model was established. The expression of DUB3 and KLF4 was examined in HCC patient specimens. The results showed that DUB3 upregulated KLF4 expression by deubiquitinating and stabilizing KLF4 protein in HCC cells through binding with KLF4. DUB3 inhibited HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo while enhancing the chemosensitivity of HCC cells in a KLF4-dependent manner. Furthermore, KLF4 promoted DUB3 transcription by binding to the DUB3 promoter. In HCC patients, DUB3 expression positively correlated with KLF4 expression in HCC tissues. Low DUB3 expression predicted worse overall survival and recurrence in HCC patients. In conclusion, this study revealed a positive DUB3/KLF4 feedback loop that inhibits tumor growth and chemoresistance in HCC. These results suggest that DUB3/KLF4 activation might be a potential therapeutic approach for HCC treatment.
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12
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Luo X, Zhang Y, Meng Y, Ji M, Wang Y. Prognostic significance of KLF4 in solid tumours: an updated meta-analysis. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:181. [PMID: 35177016 PMCID: PMC8851789 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09198-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc finger-containing transcription factor predominantly expressed in terminally differentiated epithelial tissues. Many studies have shown that KLF4 has various mechanisms in different tumours; however, the prognostic role of KLF4 remains unclear. Methods and results We searched the relevant literature that evaluated the prognostic value of KLF4 in different cancers, and the original survival data were obtained from the text, tables or Kaplan–Meier curves for both comparative groups. Thirty studies were included in this meta-analysis, and a total of 10 malignant tumours were involved. The expression of KLF4 was not associated with the prognosis for overall survival (hazard ratio(HR)0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65–1.13, P = 0.28), disease-free survival/recurrence-free survival/metastasis-free survival (HR 0.87, 95% CI: 0.52–1.44, P = 0.58) or disease-specific survival (HR 1.13, 95% CI: 0.44–2.87, P = 0.8). Conclusion This study showed that the expression of KLF4 was not related to the prognosis of the tumours that were included in the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoya Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease. Beijing Digestive Disease Center. Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease., Beijing, 100050, China.
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Hospital of Fangshan District, Beijing, 102400, China
| | - Ying Meng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease. Beijing Digestive Disease Center. Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease., Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Ming Ji
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease. Beijing Digestive Disease Center. Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease., Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Yongjun Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease. Beijing Digestive Disease Center. Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease., Beijing, 100050, China
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13
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CRHBP is degraded via autophagy and exerts anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects by reducing cyclin B2 expression and dissociating cyclin B2-CDK1 complex. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 29:1217-1227. [PMID: 35082401 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00423-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is the predominant self-eating catabolic pathway activated in response to nutrient starvation and hypoxia within the microenvironment of varied malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SQSTM1/p62 links its cargos to autophagosomes for degradation, and reportedly acts as a contributor for hepatocarcinogenesis. Five GEO gene microarrays identified corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) binding protein (CRHBP) as a significantly downregulated gene in HCC (log2 Fold change < -3 and p < 0.001), and an earlier human interactome study indicated that CRHBP may interact with p62. This study aimed to explore (1) the role of CRHBP in HCC development, and (2) whether p62-mediated autophagy was responsible for low CRHBP expression within HCC tissue. Following functional experiments first revealed an anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic, and anti-angiogenic role of CRHBP in HCC cells (Huh-7, Li-7 and HCCLM3) and xenografts. CRHBP negatively regulated cyclin B2 expression, and dissociated cyclin B2-CDK1 complex in HCC cells, thereby leading to cell cycle arrest at G2 phase. To simulate HCC microenvironment in vitro, Huh-7 cells were incubated in Earle's Balanced Salt Solution (nutrient starvation) or exposed to 1% O2 (hypoxic exposure). In addition to activating autophagy, nutrient starvation and hypoxic exposure also induced CRHBP degradation. Interestingly, CRHBP was demonstrated as a novel cargo targeted by p62 for degradation in autophagosomes. Blocking autophagy with 3-MA, chloroquine or siSQSTM1 prevented CRHBP degradation in HCC cells. Collectively, our study uncovers a role for CRHBP in retarding HCC development, reducing cyclin B2 expression and impairing cyclin B2-CDK1 interaction. CRHBP downregulation in HCC may attribute to p62-mediated autophagy.
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14
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Comparative pharmacokinetic study of bicalutamide administration alone and in combination with vitamin D in rats. ACTA CHROMATOGR 2021. [DOI: 10.1556/1326.2021.00995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Bicalutamide (BCL) has been approved for treatment of advanced prostate cancer (Pca), and vitamin D is inevitably used in combination with BCL in Pca patients for skeletal or anti-tumor strategies. Therefore, it is necessary to study the effect of vitamin D application on the pharmacokinetics of BCL.
We developed and validated a specific, sensitive and rapid UHPLC–MS/MS method to investigate the pharmacokinetic behaviours of BCL in rat plasma with and without the combined use of vitamin D. Plasma samples were extracted by protein precipitation with ether/dichloromethane (2:1 v/v), and the analytes were separated by a Kinetex Biphenyl 100A column (2.1 × 100 mm, 2.6 μm) with a mobile phase composed of 0.5 mM ammonium acetate (PH 6.5) in water (A) and acetonitrile (B) in a ratio of A:B = 35:65 (v/v). Analysis of the ions was run in the multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) mode. The linear range of BCL was 5–2000 ng mL−1. The intra- and inter-day precision were less than 14%, and the accuracy was in the range of 94.4–107.1%. The mean extraction recoveries, matrix effects and stabilities were acceptable for this method. The validated method was successfully applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetic behaviours of BCL in rat plasma. The results demonstrated that the pharmacokinetic property of BCL is significantly affected by combined use of vitamin D, which might help provide useful evidence for the clinical therapy and further pharmacokinetic study.
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15
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Yang H, Park D, Ryu J, Park T. USP11 degrades KLF4 via its deubiquitinase activity in liver diseases. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:6976-6987. [PMID: 34114341 PMCID: PMC8278108 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc‐finger containing DNA‐binding transcription factor involved in tumorigenesis and acts as a tumour suppressor or an oncogene depending on the tissue. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), KLF4 has been considered as a tumour suppressor, although the mechanism underlying its action remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified the ubiquitin‐specific peptidase USP11 as a KLF4‐interacting deubiquitinating enzyme using a proteomic approach. USP11 destabilizes KLF4 through the removal of K63‐dependent polyubiquitination, thereby inhibiting KLF4 expression. We also provide mechanistic insights into KLF4 degradation and show that USP11 depletion inhibits growth and chemoresistance of HCC cells by enhancing KLF4 stability. Importantly, lipid content was reduced and genes involved in fatty acid metabolism were down‐regulated in an in vitro steatosis conditions upon USP11 knockout. Finally, elevated USP11 and reduced KLF4 levels were detected both in a hepatic steatosis in vitro model and in public clinical data of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and HCC patients. Collectively, these findings suggest that USP11, as KLF4‐binding partner, is an important mediator of hepatic tumorigenesis that functions via degradation of KLF4 and is a potential treatment target for liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heeyoung Yang
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Daeui Park
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, Korea.,Department of Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jeongho Ryu
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, Korea.,Department of Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Tamina Park
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, Korea.,Department of Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Korea
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16
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Zhang Y, Jiang X, Li X, Găman MA, Kord-Varkaneh H, Rahmani J, Salehi-Sahlabadi A, Day AS, Xu Y. Serum Vitamin D Levels and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. Nutr Cancer 2020; 73:1-9. [PMID: 32705896 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2020.1797127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Data regarding the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and the risk of liver cancer are conflicting. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of all available data of cohort studies on the association of 25-OH-vitamin-D levels with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane and Web of Science databases for prospective observational studies conducted on the general population from inception to May 2019. Six studies provided data from 6357 participants. According to the pooled HR, the subjects with the highest serum concentrations of vitamin D had a 47% lower risk of liver cancer vs. the subjects with the lowest serum concentrations of vitamin D (pooled HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.41-0.68; P < 0.001). There was no significant heterogeneity among the studies (P = 0.431, I2 = 0.0). The pooled HR from the random-effects dose-response model indicated an indirect significant linear association between vitamin D and the risk of liver cancer (coef = -0.017, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant nonlinear dose-response association between serum vitamin D and the risk of liver cancer (coef = -0.0001, P = 0.342). The evidence from this meta-analysis suggests that there may be an inverse relationship between serum vitamin D levels and the risk of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggui Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuefeng Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiangjun Li
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mihnea-Alexandru Găman
- "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.,Center of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Hamed Kord-Varkaneh
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamal Rahmani
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ammar Salehi-Sahlabadi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrew S Day
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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17
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A Novel Function for KLF4 in Modulating the De-differentiation of EpCAM -/CD133 - nonStem Cells into EpCAM +/CD133 + Liver Cancer Stem Cells in HCC Cell Line HuH7. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051198. [PMID: 32408542 PMCID: PMC7290717 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex and heterogeneous nature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) hampers the identification of effective therapeutic strategies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a fraction of cells within tumors with the ability to self-renew and differentiate, and thus significantly contribute to the formation and maintenance of heterogeneous tumor mass. Increasing evidence indicates high plasticity in tumor cells, suggesting that non-CSCs could acquire stem cell properties through de-differentiation or reprogramming processes. In this paper, we reveal KLF4 as a transcription factor that can induce a CSC-like phenotype in non-CSCs through upregulating the EpCAM and E-CAD expression. Our studies indicated that KLF4 could directly bind to the promoter of EpCAM and increase the number of EpCAM+/CD133+ liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) in the HuH7 HCC cell line. When KLF4 was overexpressed in EpCAM−/CD133− non-stem cells, the expressions of hepatic stem/progenitor cell genes such as CK19, EpCAM and LGR5 were significantly increased. KLF4 overexpressing non-stem cells exhibited greater cell viability upon sorafenib treatment, while the cell migration and invasion capabilities of these cells were suppressed. Importantly, we detected an increased membranous expression and colocalization of β-CAT, E-CAD and EpCAM in the KLF4-overexpressing EpCAM−/CD133− non-stem cells, suggesting that this complex might be required for the cancer stem cell phenotype. Moreover, our in vivo xenograft studies demonstrated that with a KLF4 overexpression, EpCAM−/CD133− non-stem cells attained an in vivo tumor forming ability comparable to EpCAM+/CD133+ LCSCs, and the tumor specimens from KLF4-overexpressing xenografts had increased levels of both the KLF4 and EpCAM proteins. Additionally, we identified a correlation between the KLF4 and EpCAM protein expressions in human HCC tissues independent of the tumor stage and differentiation status. Collectively, our data suggest a novel function for KLF4 in modulating the de-differentiation of tumor cells and the induction of EpCAM+/CD133+ LCSCs in HuH7 HCC cells.
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18
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Yang L, Shi P, Zhao G, Xu J, Peng W, Zhang J, Zhang G, Wang X, Dong Z, Chen F, Cui H. Targeting cancer stem cell pathways for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:8. [PMID: 32296030 PMCID: PMC7005297 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-0110-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 886] [Impact Index Per Article: 221.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Since cancer stem cells (CSCs) were first identified in leukemia in 1994, they have been considered promising therapeutic targets for cancer therapy. These cells have self-renewal capacity and differentiation potential and contribute to multiple tumor malignancies, such as recurrence, metastasis, heterogeneity, multidrug resistance, and radiation resistance. The biological activities of CSCs are regulated by several pluripotent transcription factors, such as OCT4, Sox2, Nanog, KLF4, and MYC. In addition, many intracellular signaling pathways, such as Wnt, NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB), Notch, Hedgehog, JAK-STAT (Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription), PI3K/AKT/mTOR (phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin), TGF (transforming growth factor)/SMAD, and PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor), as well as extracellular factors, such as vascular niches, hypoxia, tumor-associated macrophages, cancer-associated fibroblasts, cancer-associated mesenchymal stem cells, extracellular matrix, and exosomes, have been shown to be very important regulators of CSCs. Molecules, vaccines, antibodies, and CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) cells have been developed to specifically target CSCs, and some of these factors are already undergoing clinical trials. This review summarizes the characterization and identification of CSCs, depicts major factors and pathways that regulate CSC development, and discusses potential targeted therapy for CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Pengfei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Gaichao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Wen Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiayi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Guanghui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaowen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhen Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Hongjuan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China.
- Cancer Center, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, 400716, Chongqing, China.
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19
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Li N, Fan X, Wang X, Zhang X, Zhang K, Han Q, Lv Y, Liu Z. Genetic association of polymorphisms at the intergenic region between PRDM1 and ATG5 with hepatitis B virus infection in Han Chinese patients. J Med Virol 2019; 92:1198-1205. [PMID: 31729038 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is related to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the interplay between the virus and host immune response leads to different outcomes of the infection. PR domain zinc finger protein 1 (PRDM1) and autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5) are involved in immune response and HBV infection. An intergenic region between PRDM1 and ATG5 (PRDM1-ATG5 region) has been identified, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this region were shown to be involved in immune regulation. This study investigated the functionally relevant rs548234, rs6937876, and rs6568431 polymorphisms at the PRDM1-ATG5 region in a Han Chinese population (403 patients with chronic HBV infection [171 chronic hepatitis, 119 cirrhosis, and 113 HCC], 70 infection resolvers, and 196 healthy controls). The frequencies of the rs6568431 allele A in HBV patients (P = .005) and genotype CA in infection resolvers (P = .005) were significantly higher than in healthy controls. In the dominant model, HCC patients had significantly higher frequencies of rs548234 genotypes CC + TC than cirrhosis patients (P = .009). Rs548234 was an independent factor for HCC in comparison with either cirrhosis (P = .005) or all chronic HBV infection without HCC (P = .018). Functional annotation showed evidence of the role of the SNPs in gene regulation. In conclusion, through this study it is revealed for the first time that rs6568431 may be associated with susceptibility to HBV infection and that rs548234 may be associated with HCC risk in chronic HBV infection, supporting the presence of HBV-related disease-causing regulatory polymorphisms in the PRDM1-ATG5 intergenic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiude Fan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaoge Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qunying Han
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yi Lv
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhengwen Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.,Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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20
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He H, Wu Z, Li S, Chen K, Wang D, Zou H, Chen H, Li Y, Liu Z, Qu C. TRAF7 enhances ubiquitin-degradation of KLF4 to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Cancer Lett 2019; 469:380-389. [PMID: 31730901 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 7 (TRAF7) is a component of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and is a putative E3-ubiquitin ligase. Based on importance of chronic inflammation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we investigated the biological effects and the molecular mechanisms of deregulated TRAF7 signaling in HCC. Our results showed that high TRAF7 expression in HCC samples was inversely associated with Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) expression and the prognosis of HCC patients. TRAF7 could degrade KLF4 protein through ubiquitin by interacting with its N-terminus. The up-regulation of TRAF7 promoted HCC cell migration and invasion in vivo and in vitro, and TRAF7 knockdown had the opposite effects. Restoration of KLF4 abrogated the motility promotion induced by TRAF7. TRAF7 promotes HCC cell motility through inducing KLF4 protein turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan He
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China; Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wu
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China; Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Kun Chen
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China; Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China; Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Haojing Zou
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Zhihua Liu
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Chunfeng Qu
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China; Department of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
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21
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DDX17 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via inhibiting Klf4 transcriptional activity. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:814. [PMID: 31653828 PMCID: PMC6814716 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-2044-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
DEAD box RNA helicase 17 (DDX17) is a transcriptional regulator of several transcription factors, which is more appreciated than its role in RNA metabolism. However, prognostic value and biofunction of DDX17 in HCC remain unclear. Illuminating the mechanism underlying the regulating HCC progression by DDX17 may contribute to therapeutic strategies. In our study, we report for the first time that DDX17 was overexpressed in HCC specimens by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlated to clinical pathological characteristics and patients' survival. In vitro, DDX17 was ascertained to alter HCC migratory and invasive capacities after overexpression and knockdown in HCC cell lines. Moreover, by performing co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and GST-pull down assay, the physical association between DDX17 and Klf4 was discovered and validated. Additionally, DDX17 could modulate expressions of Klf4 target genes including E-cadherin, MMP2 by inhibiting the promoter activity. The potent correlation between DDX17 and Klf4 target gene expressions was further appraised by a same set of 30 HCC tissues. Besides, we discovered that DDX17 could not deploy its function in regulating Klf4 target gene expressions and HCC progression in Klf4-depletion condition. Intriguingly, DDX17 failed to interact with Klf4 once the zinc-finger domain was deleted and inhibited the binding of Klf4 on MMP-2 promoter. Collectively, our study enucleates novel mechanism of DDX17-mediated oncogenesis by suppressing the transcriptional activity of Klf4 thus is likely to be a therapeutic target in HCC.
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22
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Mechanism of KLF4 Protection against Acute Liver Injury via Inhibition of Apelin Signaling. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:6140360. [PMID: 31687083 PMCID: PMC6811788 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6140360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a key transcription factor that regulates genes involved in the proliferation or differentiation in different tissues. Apelin plays roles in cardiovascular functions, metabolic disease, and homeostatic disorder. However, the biological function of apelin in liver disease is still ongoing. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of KLF4-mediated protection against acute liver injury via the inhibition of the apelin signaling pathway. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4; 0.2 mL dissolved in 100 mL olive oil, 10 mL/kg) to establish an acute liver injury model. A KLF4 expression plasmid was injected through the tail vein 48 h before CCl4 treatment. In cultured LX-2 cells, pAd-KLF4 or siRNA KLF4 was overexpressed or knockdown, and the mRNA and protein levels of apelin were determined. The results showed that the apelin serum level in the CCl4-injected group was higher than that of control group, and the expression of apelin in the liver tissues was elevated while KLF4 expression was decreased in the CCl4-injected group compared to the KLF4-plasmid-injected group. HE staining revealed serious hepatocellular steatosis in the CCl4-injected mice, and KLF4 alleviated this steatosis in the mice injected with KLF4 plasmid. In vitro experiments showed that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) could downregulate the transcription and translation levels of apelin in LX-2 cells and also upregulate KLF4 mRNA and protein expression. RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that the overexpression of KLF4 markedly decreased basal apelin expression, but knockdown of KLF4 restored apelin expression in TNF-α-treated LX-2 cells. These in vivo and in vitro experiments suggest that KLF4 plays a key role in inhibiting hepatocellular steatosis in acute liver injury, and that its mechanism might be the inhibition of the apelin signaling pathway.
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23
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Li L, Yu S, Wu Q, Dou N, Li Y, Gao Y. KLF4-Mediated CDH3 Upregulation Suppresses Human Hepatoma Cell Growth and Migration via GSK-3β Signaling. Int J Biol Sci 2019; 15:953-961. [PMID: 31182916 PMCID: PMC6535787 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.30857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Shijun Yu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Ning Dou
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yandong Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China.,Research Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Yong Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200120, China
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24
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Dong X, Wang F, Xue Y, Lin Z, Song W, Yang N, Li Q. MicroRNA‑9‑5p downregulates Klf4 and influences the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via the AKT signaling pathway. Int J Mol Med 2019; 43:1417-1429. [PMID: 30664155 PMCID: PMC6365078 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2019.4062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) is a transcriptional factor involved in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms associated with the Klf4 gene as a tumor suppressor in HCC remain unclear. microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are a series of small non-coding RNAs that serve a vital role in regulating gene expression via their influence on protein translation and the associated degradation of mRNA. The mRNA expression levels of the miRNA, miR-9-5p, and Klf4 were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression levels of Klf4, protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated (p-)AKT, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), p-mTOR, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were determined by western blot analysis. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm a direct interaction between miR-9-5p and the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) sequence of Klf4. Cell counting kit-8 assay, wound healing assay, Transwell migration assay and flow cytometric analysis were performed to evaluate the proliferative, migratory and apoptotic capabilities of the HCC cells. In the present study, miR-9-5p was revealed to be overexpressed in HCC as a novel upstream gene of Klf4. miR-9-5p expression was inversely associated with Klf4 expression in clinical samples. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a markedly poor prognosis of HCC in the miR-9-5p high-expression group. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-9-5p bound directly to the 3′-UTR of Klf4, which reduced the expression levels of Klf4. The miR-9-5p/Klf4 axis promoted HCC proliferation and migration, and inhibited HCC apoptosis. Furthermore, miR-9-5p upregulated the Bcl-2/Bax protein ratio and activated AKT/mTOR signaling. Taken together, these data demonstrated that the miR-9-5p/Klf4 axis was able to promote HCC progression, which may occur via regulation of the AKT signaling pathway, highlighting a potential novel target in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Dong
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Ying Xue
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Zhipeng Lin
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Weifeng Song
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Ning Yang
- The 5th Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200082, P.R. China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
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25
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Wang J, Chen Y, Mo PL, Wei YJ, Liu KC, Zhang ZG, Zhang ZW, Chen XP, Zhang L. 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 inhibits aflatoxin B1-induced proliferation and dedifferentiation of hepatic progenitor cells by regulating PI3K/Akt and Hippo pathways. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 183:228-237. [PMID: 30099061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) might be the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma. 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) (VD3) has been documented as an anticancer agent for various cancers. However, the potential effect of VD3 on the proliferation and malignant transformation of HPCs induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has not been determined. In this study, we found that AFB1 exhibited the stimulative effects on the proliferation, dedifferentiation and invasion of HPCs via activating AKT pathway but turning off Hippo pathway, which were terminated when VD3 was used in combination with AFB1. Furthermore, in AFB1-induced liver damage mouse model, VD3 also showed protective effect by reducing HPCs population. Together, these preclinical data not only provide a newly identified mechanism by which AFB1 affects HPCs but also strengthen the idea of developing VD3 as an anticancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Wang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping-Li Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361012, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ju Wei
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology Oncology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey 17033, PA, USA
| | - Kuan-Cheng Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhan-Guo Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Wei Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ping Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, People's Republic of China.
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26
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Wang L, Shen F, Stroehlein JR, Wei D. Context-dependent functions of KLF4 in cancers: Could alternative splicing isoforms be the key? Cancer Lett 2018; 438:10-16. [PMID: 30217565 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is an important transcription factor that is expressed in a variety of tissues and regulates many critical physiologic and cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, stem cell reprogramming, maintenance of genomic stability, and normal tissue homeostasis. KLF4 has both tumor suppressive and oncogenic functions in gastrointestinal and other cancers. These functions are thought to be context dependent, but how KLF4 exerts these differential functions and the molecular mechanisms behind them remain poorly understood. Recent studies have shown that the KLF4 gene undergoes alternative splicing, and the protein products of certain transcripts antagonize wild-type KLF4 function, suggesting an additional layer of regulation of KLF4 function. Therefore, detailed study of KLF4 alternative splicing may not only provide new insights into the complexity of KLF4 functions but also lead to rational targeting of KLF4 for cancer prevention and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Feng Shen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - John R Stroehlein
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Daoyan Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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27
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Xu J, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Dang S, He S. Astemizole promotes the anti-tumor effect of vitamin D through inhibiting miR-125a-5p-meidated regulation of VDR in HCC. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 107:1682-1691. [PMID: 30257386 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.08.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Vitamin D and antihistamines have been shown to play an anti-tumor role in various tumors. In the present study, we ought to investigate the synergistic effect of astemizole and Vitamin D in HCC cells. We showed that astemizole enhanced the anti-tumor effect of Vitamin D in HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Astemizole enhanced Vitamin D-induced decrease of cell viability and proliferation, increase of apoptosis, decrease of cell migration and invasion in HCC cells in vitro and decrease of tumor number, mass and incidence in HCC in vivo. Astemizole increased VDR expression both in HCC cells in vitro and in tumor tissues in vivo. Downregulation of VDR significantly inhibited the synergistic effect of Vitamin D and astemizole on HCC cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Bioinformatics analysis identified that miR-125a-5p had a putative binding site in the 3'-UTR of VDR. miR-125a-5p mimics inhibited astemizole-induced increase of VDR and enhancement of the anti-tumor effect of Vitamin D in HCC. Reporter gene assay has confirmed that VDR was regulated by miR-125a-5p. miR-125a-5p inhibitors increased VDR expression and decreased cell viability and proliferation in HCC cells. Moreover, VDR and miR-125a-5p expression in tumor tissues in HCC patients were negatively correlated. We identified that inhibition of miR-125a-5p and subsequent upregulation of VDR was involved in astemizole-induced enhancement of the anti-tumor effect of Vitamin D in HCC. These results highlight the importance of combined treatment of astemizole and Vitamin D and provide novel insights into the role of miR-125a-5p-VDR signaling in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junli Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China; Department of Geriatric Gastroenterology, Xi'an No. 1 Hospital, Xi'an 710002, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Ya Zhang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Shan Dang
- Department of Gastroenterology 2, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, 710068, China
| | - Shuixiang He
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
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28
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Keane JT, Elangovan H, Stokes RA, Gunton JE. Vitamin D and the Liver-Correlation or Cause? Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10040496. [PMID: 29659559 PMCID: PMC5946281 DOI: 10.3390/nu10040496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin D is becoming increasingly accepted as an important physiological regulator outside of its classical role in skeletal homeostasis. A growing body of evidence connects vitamin D with hepatic disease. This review summarises the role of vitamin D in liver homeostasis and disease and discusses the therapeutic potential of vitamin D-based treatments to protect against hepatic disease progression and to improve response to treatment. While pre-clinical experimental data is promising, clinical trials around liver diseases have mostly been under-powered, and further studies will be required to clarify whether vitamin D or vitamin D analogues have beneficial effects on liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T Keane
- Centre for Diabetes, Obesity & Endocrinology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
| | - Harendran Elangovan
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
| | - Rebecca A Stokes
- Centre for Diabetes, Obesity & Endocrinology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
| | - Jenny E Gunton
- Centre for Diabetes, Obesity & Endocrinology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
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29
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Minami K, Taniguchi K, Sugito N, Kuranaga Y, Inamoto T, Takahara K, Takai T, Yoshikawa Y, Kiyama S, Akao Y, Azuma H. MiR-145 negatively regulates Warburg effect by silencing KLF4 and PTBP1 in bladder cancer cells. Oncotarget 2018; 8:33064-33077. [PMID: 28380435 PMCID: PMC5464850 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Warburg effect is a well-known feature in cancer-specific metabolism. We previously reported on the role of microRNA (miR)-145 as a tumor-suppressor in human bladder cancer (BC) cells. In this study, we reveal that miR-145 decreases the Warburg effect by silencing KLF4 in BC cells. The expression levels of miR-145 were significantly lower in clinical BC samples and BC cell lines compared to those in normal tissues and HUC cells. Luciferase assay results showed that miR-145 directly bound to 3′UTR of KLF4, which was shown to be overexpressed in the clinical BC samples using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Remarkable growth inhibition and apoptosis were induced by the ectopic expression of miR-145 or by the gene silencing of KLF4 (siR-KLF4). Also, Warburg effect-related genes such as PTBP1/PKMs were regulated by the transfection of BC cells with miR-145 or siR-KLF4. These results thus indicate that the miR-145/KLF4/PTBP1/PKMs axis is one of the critical pathways that maintain the Warburg effect in BC carcinogenesis. MiR-145 perturbed the Warburg effect by suppressing the KLF4/PTBP1/PKMs pathway in BC cells, resulting in significant cell growth inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Minami
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.,Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Kohei Taniguchi
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.,Department of General and Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Sugito
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Yuki Kuranaga
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Teruo Inamoto
- Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Takahara
- Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Takai
- Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Yuki Yoshikawa
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.,Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kiyama
- Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Yukihiro Akao
- United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Haruhito Azuma
- Department of Urology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
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30
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Fujiwara N, Friedman SL, Goossens N, Hoshida Y. Risk factors and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of precision medicine. J Hepatol 2018; 68:526-549. [PMID: 28989095 PMCID: PMC5818315 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 460] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Patients who develop chronic fibrotic liver disease, caused by viral or metabolic aetiologies, are at a high risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Even after complete HCC tumour resection or ablation, the carcinogenic tissue microenvironment in the remnant liver can give rise to recurrent de novo HCC tumours, which progress into incurable, advanced-stage disease in most patients. Thus, early detection and prevention of HCC development is, in principle, the most impactful strategy to improve patient prognosis. However, a "one-size-fits-all" approach to HCC screening for early tumour detection, as recommended by clinical practice guidelines, is utilised in less than 20% of the target population, and the performance of screening modalities, including ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein, is suboptimal. Furthermore, optimal screening strategies for emerging at-risk patient populations, such as those with chronic hepatitis C after viral cure, or those with non-cirrhotic, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease remain controversial. New HCC biomarkers and imaging modalities may improve the sensitivity and specificity of HCC detection. Clinical and molecular HCC risk scores will enable precise HCC risk prediction followed by tailoured HCC screening of individual patients, maximising cost-effectiveness and optimising allocation of limited medical resources. Several aetiology-specific and generic HCC chemoprevention strategies are evolving. Epidemiological and experimental studies have identified candidate chemoprevention targets and therapies, including statins, anti-diabetic drugs, and selective molecular targeted agents, although their clinical testing has been limited by the lengthy process of cancer development that requires long-term, costly studies. Individual HCC risk prediction is expected to overcome the challenge by enabling personalised chemoprevention, targeting high-risk patients for precision HCC prevention and substantially improving the dismal prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Fujiwara
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA; Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
| | - Nicolas Goossens
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA.
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31
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Subcellular localization of Klf4 in non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical significance. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 99:480-485. [PMID: 29665649 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.01.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) was reported to have both tumor suppressive and oncogenic roles on tumorigenesis, which is depend on its subcellular localization. In this study, the expression and subcellular localization of Klf4 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients as well as its clinical significance were analyzed, and the expression and subcellular localization of Klf4 in A549 cells and A549/DDP cells were detected. The results showed that the expression of Klf4 in nucleus was related to the histological grade and clinical stage of NSCLC patients. Moreover, the subcellular localization of Klf4 is the independent risk factor for NSCLC, and the high expression of Klf4 in nucleus could lead to a poor prognosis, while the high expression of Klf4 in cytoplasm could lead to a prominent prognosis for NSCLC patients. In addition, the nuclear Klf4 expression in A549/DDP cells was higher than that in A549 cells, while the cytoplasmic Klf4 expression in A549/DDP cells was lower than that in A549 cells, indicating that the subcellular localization of Klf4 might be related to the resistance of A549 cells to cisplatin. The study indicates that Klf4 could be a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.
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32
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Chen X, Li S, Ke Y, Wu S, Huang T, Hu W, Fu H, Guo X. KLF16 suppresses human glioma cell proliferation and tumourigenicity by targeting TFAM. ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 46:608-615. [PMID: 29374989 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2018.1431654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrong Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, PR China
| | - Shun Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, PR China
| | - Yumin Ke
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, PR China
| | - Shukai Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, PR China
| | - Tianzao Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, PR China
| | - Weipeng Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, PR China
| | - Huangde Fu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, PR China
| | - Xieli Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Jinjiang Municipal Hospital, Quanzhou, PR China
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33
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Yao S, Tian C, Ding Y, Ye Q, Gao Y, Yang N, Li Q. Down-regulation of Krüppel-like factor-4 by microRNA-135a-5p promotes proliferation and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma by transforming growth factor-β1. Oncotarget 2018; 7:42566-42578. [PMID: 27302923 PMCID: PMC5173156 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Krüppel-like Factor-4 (KLF4) is a zinc finger transcription factor which plays an important role in cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis. In Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the function of KLF4 has been characterized as tumor suppressor. However, the mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that TGF-β1 down-regulated KLF4 by activating miR-135a-5p. MiR-135a-5p promoted proliferation and metastasis in HCC cells by direct targeting KLF4 both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, miR-135a-5p expression was up-regulated in clinical HCC tissues, and was inversely correlated with the expression of KLF4. Taken together, our data indicated that TGF-β1 down-regulated KLF4 by activating miR-135a-5p, promoting proliferation and metastasis in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Yao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120,China
| | - Chuan Tian
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120,China
| | - Youcheng Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120,China
| | - Qingwang Ye
- Department of Liver Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yong Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120,China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120,China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
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34
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Suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by Krüppel-like factor 4. Oncotarget 2018; 7:29749-60. [PMID: 27102441 PMCID: PMC5045430 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant and lethal human cancers. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) enhances the carcinogenesis of HCC, and therapies targeting EMT appear to be promising treatments. We have previously shown that Krüppel-like Factor 4 (KLF4) suppressed EMT of HCC cells through downregulating EMT-associated proteins. Here, we examined the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in KLF4-regulated EMT in HCC cells. KLF4 induced expression of 3 miRNAs (miR-153, miR-506 and miR-200b) that targeted 3′-UTR of Snail1, Slug and ZEB1 mRNAs, respectively, to inhibit protein translation in HCC cells, which was confirmed by promoter luciferase assay. Expression of either miRNA significantly inhibited HCC cell growth and invasiveness, while the effect of combined expression of all 3 miRNAs was more pronounced. Furthermore, overexpression of antisense of all 3 miRNAs abolished the inhibitory effect of KLF4 on HCC cell growth and invasiveness. Together, our data suggest that KLF4 inhibits EMT-enhanced HCC growth and invasion, possibly through reducing EMT-related proteins Snail1, Slug and ZEB1 via increasing miR-153, miR-506 and miR-200b.
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35
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Yang X, Zhang D, Liu S, Li X, Hu W, Han C. KLF4 suppresses the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma by transcriptionally upregulating monoglyceride lipase. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:1019-1029. [PMID: 30034939 PMCID: PMC6048399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The dysregulation of cellular metabolism, particularly lipid metabolism, is essential for cancer progress. Monoglyceride lipase (MGLL) is an important fatty acid metabolism enzyme, which converts monoacylglycerides to free fatty acids and glycerol. Despite the expression level of MGLL was reported to be downregulated in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the clinical significances and molecular mechanism of MGLL downregulation remains unknown. In the current study, the clinical significances of MGLL expression were investigated in 95 patients with HCC and the transcription factors of MGLL were identified in HCC cells. We found that MGLL was frequently downregulated in HCC samples, especially in metastatic tumor tissues. Patients with low MGLL expression owned remarkably lower 5 year-overall survival (5-OS). Functionally, we found that MGLL played an important role in HCC cell migration. Overexpression of MGLL suppressed cell migration and depletion of MGLL by shRNA promoted cell migration. Further studies indicated that KLF4 directly bound to the promoter of MGLL and accelerated MGLL expression, which then led to HCC cell migration decrease. Additionally, the expression levels of KLF4 were positive association with MGLL expression in HCC tissues. Collectively, our data suggest that KLF4 is a key regulator of MGLL. The KLF4-MGLL axis plays an essential role in suppressing HCC cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejun Yang
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell and Department of General Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
- Department of Physiology of College of Basic Medical Science, College of Stomatology of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell and Department of General Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
- Department of Physiology of College of Basic Medical Science, College of Stomatology of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
| | - Sha Liu
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell and Department of General Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
- Department of Physiology of College of Basic Medical Science, College of Stomatology of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
| | - Xiaojie Li
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell and Department of General Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
- Department of Physiology of College of Basic Medical Science, College of Stomatology of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
| | - Wanglai Hu
- Department of Immunology, Anhui Medical UniversityHefei 230032, China.
| | - Chuanchun Han
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell and Department of General Surgery of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
- Department of Physiology of College of Basic Medical Science, College of Stomatology of Dalian Medical UniversityDalian 116044, China
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36
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Li X, Zhao Z, Zhang X, Yang S, Lin X, Yang X, Lin X, Shi J, Wang S, Zhao W, Li J, Gao F, Liu M, Ma N, Luo W, Yao K, Sun Y, Xiao S, Xiao D, Jia J. Klf4 reduces stemness phenotype, triggers mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET)-like molecular changes, and prevents tumor progression in nasopharygeal carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:93924-93941. [PMID: 29212199 PMCID: PMC5706845 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The reprogramming factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4), one of the Yamanaka's reprogramming factors, plays an essential role in reprogramming somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Klf4 is dysregulated and displays divergent functions in multiple malignancies, but the biological roles of Klf4 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain unknown. The present study revealed that Klf4 downregulation in a cohort of human NPC biopsies is significantly associated with invasive and metastatic phenotypes of NPC. Our results showed exogenous expression of Klf4 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, decreased stemness, triggered mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET)-like molecular changes, and suppressed migration and invasion of NPC cells, whereas depletion of endogeneous Klf4 by RNAi reversed the aforementioned biological behaviors and characheristics. Klf4 silencing significantly enhanced the metastatic ability of NPC cells in vivo. In addition, CHIP assay confirmed that E-cadherin is a transcriptional target of Klf4 in NPC cells. Additional studies demonstrated that Klf4-induced MET-like cellular marker alterations, and reduced motility and invasion of NPC cells were mediated by E-cadherin. This study revealed the clinical correlation between Klf4 expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers (including its target gene E-cadherin) in a cohort of NPC biopsies. Taken together, our findings suggest, for what we believe is the first time, that Klf4 functions as a tumor suppressor in NPC to decrease stemness phenotype, inhibit EMT and prevent tumor progression, suggesting that restoring Klf4 function may provide therapeutic benefits in NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiqing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.,Institute of Comparative Medicine & Laboratory Animal Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.,Department of Oncology, The People's Hosptial of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Zhunlan Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.,Department of Oncology, The People's Hosptial of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Sheng Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xia Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xinglong Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiaolin Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Junwen Shi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Shengchun Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Wentao Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Mingyue Liu
- Department of Oncology, The People's Hosptial of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Ning Ma
- Department of Oncology, The People's Hosptial of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, China
| | - Weiren Luo
- The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Guangdong Medical University, Shenzhen 518112, China
| | - Kaitai Yao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shengjun Xiao
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China
| | - Dong Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.,Institute of Comparative Medicine & Laboratory Animal Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Junshuang Jia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy Research and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Li S, Huang L, Gu J, Wu J, Ou W, Feng J, Liu B, Xu X, Zhou Y. Restoration of KLF4 Inhibits Invasion and Metastases of Lung Adenocarcinoma through Suppressing MMP2. J Cancer 2017; 8:3480-3489. [PMID: 29151932 PMCID: PMC5687162 DOI: 10.7150/jca.21241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: KLF4 is a zin-finger transcription factor that plays roles in differentiation, development, and proliferation. Recent studies show that KLF4 is involved in tumorigenesis and somatic cells reprogramming. Metastasis is the primary cause of death in patients with lung cancer, and its biological mechanisms are poorly understood. Goals: In this study, we aim to explore the expression pattern and biological function of KLF4 in lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: We determined KLF4 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue and cell lines, using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. And we further analyzed the correlation between KLF4 expression and clinicopathologic parameters. We restored KLF4 expression and studied its effect on lung adenocarcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro. Luciferase assay was used to study impact of KLF4 on activity of MMP2 promoter. Results: KLF4 is dramatically down-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma tissue and cell lines. Promoter methylation contributes to the down-regulation of KLF4. Down-regulation of KLF4 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue is significantly associated with reduced survival time. Restoration of KLF4 inhibits migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro. Metastases to lungs significantly decrease in mice intravenously injected with tumor cells overexpressing KLF4. KLF4 inhibits invasion and metastasis via suppressing MMP2 promoter activity. Conclusion: The ability of KLF4 to inhibit migration, invasion, and metastasis of lung tumor cells indicates a potential role of KLF4 as therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma. KLF4 might be utilized as a favorable biomarker for prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoli Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lixia Huang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jincui Gu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weijun Ou
- Center of Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinglun Feng
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baomo Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxian Xu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanbin Zhou
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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38
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Liu L, Cai X, Liu E, Tian X, Tian C. MicroRNA-18a promotes proliferation and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma via targeting KLF4. Oncotarget 2017; 8:68263-68269. [PMID: 28978114 PMCID: PMC5620254 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding and endogenous RNAs that played as important roles in the proliferation and metastasis of tumors. In this study, we determined the role of miR-18a in the regulation of HCC cell motility. We showed that miR-18a expression was upregulated in human HCC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, Elevated expression of miR-18a promoted the HCC cell proliferation and migration. KLF4 was identified as a direct target of miR-18a in HCC cells. Furthermore, overexpression of KLF4 attenuated the effects of miR-18a on the regulation of HCC cell motility. The expression of KLF4 was negatively associated with the expression of miR-18a expression in HCC tissues. We also showed that the cell cycle inhibitor p21 was aberrantly downregulated in HCC cells, whereas this inhibition was reversed by miR-18a inhibitor. These data indicated that miR-18a may play a positive role in hepatocellular carcinoma by promoting the proliferation and migration of HCC cells through targeting KLF4 as well as downstream p21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Liu
- Department of Medicine & Appliance, Yunyan District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, Guizhou 550001, China
| | - Xun Cai
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Enqiang Liu
- Department of Oncology, Qianjiang Central Hospital of Chongqing Municipality, Chongqing 409000, China
| | - Xia Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guizhou 550000, China
| | - Chuan Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guizhou 550000, China
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39
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Xie VK, Li Z, Yan Y, Jia Z, Zuo X, Ju Z, Wang J, Du J, Xie D, Xie K, Wei D. DNA-Methyltransferase 1 Induces Dedifferentiation of Pancreatic Cancer Cells through Silencing of Krüppel-Like Factor 4 Expression. Clin Cancer Res 2017; 23:5585-5597. [PMID: 28659310 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-0387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: The dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer has been linked to poor tumor differentiation. However, molecular basis of pancreatic cancer differentiation and potential therapeutic value of the underlying molecules remain unknown. We investigated the mechanistic underexpression of Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in pancreatic cancer and defined a novel epigenetic pathway of its activation for pancreatic cancer differentiation and treatment.Experimental Design: Expressions of KLF4 and DNMT1 in pancreatic cancer tissues were determined by IHC and the genetic and epigenetic alterations of KLF4 in and KLF4's impact on differentiation of pancreatic cancer were examined using molecular biology techniques. The function of dietary 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) on miR-152/DNMT1/KLF4 signaling in pancreatic cancer was evaluated using both cell culture and animal models.Results: Overexpression of DNMT1 and promoter hypermethylation contributed to decreased KLF4 expression in and associated with poor differentiation of pancreatic cancer. Manipulation of KLF4 expression significantly affected differentiation marker expressions in pancreatic cancer cells. DIM treatment significantly induced miR-152 expression, which blocked DNMT1 protein expression and its binding to KLF4 promoter region, and consequently reduced promoter DNA methylation and activated KLF4 expression in pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, DIM treatment caused significant inhibition of cell growth in vitro and tumorigenesis in animal models of pancreatic cancer.Conclusions: This is the first demonstration that dysregulated KLF4 expression associates with poor differentiation of pancreatic cancer. Epigenetic activation of miR-152/DNMT1/KLF4 signaling pathway by dietary DIM causes differentiation and significant growth inhibition of pancreatic cancer cells, highlighting its translational implications for pancreatic and other cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 23(18); 5585-97. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria K Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhiwei Li
- Department Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yongmin Yan
- Department Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhiliang Jia
- Department Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xiangsheng Zuo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhenlin Ju
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jiawei Du
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tongji University East Hospital, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Dacheng Xie
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tongji University East Hospital, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Keping Xie
- Department Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
| | - Daoyan Wei
- Department Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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40
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Kim CK, He P, Bialkowska AB, Yang VW. SP and KLF Transcription Factors in Digestive Physiology and Diseases. Gastroenterology 2017; 152:1845-1875. [PMID: 28366734 PMCID: PMC5815166 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Specificity proteins (SPs) and Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) belong to the family of transcription factors that contain conserved zinc finger domains involved in binding to target DNA sequences. Many of these proteins are expressed in different tissues and have distinct tissue-specific activities and functions. Studies have shown that SPs and KLFs regulate not only physiological processes such as growth, development, differentiation, proliferation, and embryogenesis, but pathogenesis of many diseases, including cancer and inflammatory disorders. Consistently, these proteins have been shown to regulate normal functions and pathobiology in the digestive system. We review recent findings on the tissue- and organ-specific functions of SPs and KLFs in the digestive system including the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, and liver. We provide a list of agents under development to target these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Kyung Kim
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Ping He
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Agnieszka B. Bialkowska
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY,Corresponding Authors: Vincent W. Yang & Agnieszka B. Bialkowska, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, HSC T-16, Rm. 020; Stony Brook, NY, USA. Tel: (631) 444-2066; Fax: (631) 444-3144; ;
| | - Vincent W. Yang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY,Corresponding Authors: Vincent W. Yang & Agnieszka B. Bialkowska, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, HSC T-16, Rm. 020; Stony Brook, NY, USA. Tel: (631) 444-2066; Fax: (631) 444-3144; ;
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41
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Loss of KLF4 and consequential downregulation of Smad7 exacerbate oncogenic TGF-β signaling in and promote progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncogene 2017; 36:2957-2968. [PMID: 28192402 PMCID: PMC5444978 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hyperactivation of TGF-β signaling pathway is a common feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the driver factors leading to enhanced TGF-β activity are not well characterized. Here, we explore the mechanisms that loss of Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) exacerbates oncogenic TGF-β signaling in human HCC. The expression of KLF4 and TGF-β signaling components in primary HCC and their clinicopathologic relevance and significance was evaluated by using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry. Cellular and molecular impacts of altered KLF4 expression and TGF-β signaling were determined using immunofluorescence, Western blot, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and promoter reporter assays. Loss of KLF4 expression in primary HCC closely correlated with decreased Smad7 expression, increased p-Smad2/3 expression, and independently predicts reduced overall and relapse-free survival after surgery. TGF-β signaling components were expressed in most HCC cells, and activation of TGF-β signaling promoted cell migration and invasion. Enforced KLF4 expression blocked TGF-β signal transduction and inhibited cell migration and invasion via activation of Smad7 transcription, whereas deletion of its C-terminal zinc-finger domain diminished this effect. KLF4 protein physically interacts with the Smad7 promoter. Promoter deletion and point mutation analyses revealed that a region between nucleotides −15 bp and −9 bp of the Smad7 promoter was required for the induction of Smad7 promoter activity by KLF4. Our data indicate that KLF4 suppresses oncogenic TGF-β signaling by activation of Smad7 transcription, and that loss of KLF4 expression in primary HCC may contribute to activation of oncogenic TGF-β signaling and subsequent tumor progression.
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42
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Elangovan H, Chahal S, Gunton JE. Vitamin D in liver disease: Current evidence and potential directions. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2017; 1863:907-916. [PMID: 28064017 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Consistent with its multifaceted nature, growing evidence links vitamin D with hepatic disease. In this review, we summarise the roles of vitamin D in different liver pathologies and explore the clinical utility of vitamin D-based treatments in hepatology. We find that the small number of clinical trials coupled with the profound heterogeneity of study protocols limits the strength of evidence needed to ascribe definite clinical value to the hormone in liver disease. Nevertheless, the experimental data is promising and further bench and bedside studies will likely define a clearer role in hepatic therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harendran Elangovan
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarinder Chahal
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jenny E Gunton
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia; The Westmead Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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43
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Zhao Q, Cai W, Zhang X, Tian S, Zhang J, Li H, Hou C, Ma X, Chen H, Huang B, Chen D. RYBP Expression Is Regulated by KLF4 and Sp1 and Is Related to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis. J Biol Chem 2016; 292:2143-2158. [PMID: 28028181 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.770727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of Ring1- and YY1-binding protein (RYBP) is reduced in several human cancers, but the molecular mechanism(s) have remained elusive. In this study, we used human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and tissue specimens to study the mechanism and herein report several new findings. First, we cloned and characterized the basal promoter region of the human RYBP gene. We found that the decreased RYBP expression in HCC tissues was not due to promoter sequence variation/polymorphisms or CpG dinucleotide methylation. We identified two transcription factors, KLF4 and Sp1, which directly bind the promoter region of RYBP to induce and suppress RYBP transcription, respectively. We mapped the binding sites of KLF4 and Sp1 on the RYBP promoter. Studies in vitro showed that KLF4 suppresses whereas Sp1 promotes HCC cell growth through modulating RYBP expression. Deregulated KLF4 and Sp1 contributed to decreased expression of RYBP in HCC tumor tissues. Our studies of human HCC tissues indicated that a diminished RYBP level in the tumor (in association with altered KLF4 and Sp1 expression) was statistically associated with a larger tumor size, poorer differentiation, and an increased susceptibility to distant metastasis. These findings help to clarify why RYBP is decreased in HCC and indicate that deregulated KLF4, Sp1, and RYBP may lead to a poorer prognosis. Our findings support the idea that RYBP may represent a target for cancer therapy and suggest that it may be useful as a prognostic biomarker for HCC, either alone or in combination with KLF4 and Sp1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaojiajie Zhao
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Weihua Cai
- the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nantong Third Hospital, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226006, China, and
| | - Xuan Zhang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Shuo Tian
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Junwen Zhang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Haibo Li
- the Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nantong Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu 226018, China
| | - Congcong Hou
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Hong Chen
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Bingren Huang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China,
| | - Deng Chen
- From the State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China,
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44
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Tian C, Yao S, Liu L, Ding Y, Ye Q, Dong X, Gao Y, Yang N, Li Q. Klf4 inhibits tumor growth and metastasis by targeting microRNA-31 in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Mol Med 2016; 39:47-56. [PMID: 27909734 PMCID: PMC5179175 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2016.2812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are short, endogenous non-coding RNA molecules, demonstrating abnormal expression in cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we profiled 18 differentially regulated miRNAs, including miRNA-31, using miRNA array. Kruppel (or Krüppel)-like factor 4 (Klf4) is a transcription factor and putative tumor suppressor. Both were found to be significantly downregulated in liver cancer tissues and cells. However, little is known about the correlation between Klf4 and miRNA-31 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mRNA expression of Klf4 was decreased and inversely associated with the clinical stage, T classification and hepatitis B in patients with HCC, while the expression of miR-31 was lower (r=0.326, P=0.018). Using cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) and Transwell migration assays, we found that Klf4 and miR-31 inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of liver cancer cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that Klf4 directly binds to the promoter of miR-31 and activates its transcription. In vitro experiments confirmed that Klf4 regulated miR-31 and thereby inhibited HCC cell growth and metastasis. Taken together, our findings indicate that Klf4 directly regulates miR-31 in HCC. Thus, miR-31 may serve as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Tian
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Shanshan Yao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Guiyang Hospital of Guizhou Aviation Industry Group, Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Youcheng Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qingwang Ye
- Department of Liver Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Xiao Dong
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yong Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Ning Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai First People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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Zou K, Lu X, Ye K, Wang C, You T, Chen J. Krüppel-like factor 2 promotes cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma through up-regulation of c-myc. Cancer Biol Ther 2016; 17:20-6. [PMID: 26853883 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2015.1108484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of krüppel-like factor family have been shown to play critical roles in the development, metabolism and tumorigenesis. Our previous study demonstrated that up-regulationupregulation of KLF2 in livers from obese mice could promote hepatosteatosis. However, little is known about its effects in hepatocellular carcinogenesis. In the present study, we found that mRNA and protein expression of KLF2 was increased in primary HCC, when compared with that in adjacent normal liver. In vitro studies further showed that enforced overexpression of KLF2 expression enhanced, while its knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. At the molecular level, c-myc was a direct transcriptional target of KLF2 and a KLF2-binding site in the c-myc promoter bound specifically to KLF2 protein. Indeed, ablation of c-myc largely attenuated the proliferative roles of KLF2 in HCC cells. Therefore, our data highlight an important role for KLF2/c-myc pathway in HCC development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Zou
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Xiaojie Lu
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Kun Ye
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Chunmei Wang
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Tiangeng You
- a Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
| | - Jinlian Chen
- b Department of Gastroenterology , Fengxian Hospital, Southern Medical University , Shanghai , 200000 , P.R. China.,c Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital (South), Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China.,d Department of Gastroenterology , Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine , Shanghai , 200120 , P.R. China
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Xiao H, Tong R, Yang B, Lv Z, Du C, Peng C, Ding C, Cheng S, Zhou L, Xie H, Wu J, Zheng S. TAZ regulates cell proliferation and sensitivity to vitamin D3 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2016; 381:370-9. [PMID: 27554639 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ) is reported as one of the nuclear effectors of Hippo-related pathways. TAZ is found overexpressed in many primary tumors and could regulate many biological processes. However, little is known about the role of TAZ in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). In this study, we found that TAZ is expressed more in ICC tissues than in peritumoral tissue, and a robust expression of TAZ is correlated with a lower overall survival rate of ICC patients after hepatectomy. TAZ knockdown results in an increase in cell apoptosis, a promotion of cell-cycle arrest and a decrease in tumor size and weight in vivo through an increased expression of p53. Vitamin D3 can also inhibit cell proliferation by promoting p53 expression in ICC cells. A reduction in TAZ can also enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to vitamin D by regulating the p53/CYP24A1 pathway. In conclusion, TAZ is associated with the proliferation and drug-resistance of ICC cells, and could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of ICC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Xiao
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rongliang Tong
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Beng Yang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Lv
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengli Du
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chuanhui Peng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chaofeng Ding
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaobing Cheng
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Zhou
- Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haiyang Xie
- Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Shusen Zheng
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou, China.
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Tian X, Dai S, Sun J, Jin G, Jiang S, Meng F, Li Y, Wu D, Jiang Y. F-box protein FBXO22 mediates polyubiquitination and degradation of KLF4 to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Oncotarget 2016; 6:22767-75. [PMID: 26087183 PMCID: PMC4673198 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.4082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a member of the KLF family of transcription factors, has been considered as a crucial tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using affinity purifications and mass spectrometry, we identified FBXO22, Cullin1 and SKP1 as interacting proteins of KLF4. We demonstrate that F-box only protein 22 (FBXO22) interacts with and thereby destabilizes KLF4 via polyubiquitination. As a result, FBXO22 could promote HCC cells proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. However, KLF4 deficiency largely blocked the proliferative roles of FBXO22. Importantly, FBXO22 expression was markedly increased in human HCC tissues, which was correlated with down-regulation of KLF4. Therefore, our results suggest that FBXO22 might be a major regulator of HCC development through direct degradation of KLF4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Tian
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory of Cancer Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Shundong Dai
- Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.,Institute of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Immunology and Biotherapy, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China
| | - Guojiang Jin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Shenyi Jiang
- Department of Rheumatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Fandong Meng
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory of Cancer Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Yan Li
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory of Cancer Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Di Wu
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory of Cancer Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
| | - Youhong Jiang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory of Cancer Research Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
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Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Expression Is Inversely Associated with Macroscopic Vascular Invasion in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17081226. [PMID: 27483249 PMCID: PMC5000624 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17081226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a ligand-activated nuclear receptor that regulates cellular lipid and glucose metabolism and also plays an inhibitory role in various cancers. However, the role of PPARγ in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of PPARγ in HCC and its role in inhibiting tumor progression, namely, HCC cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis. Immunohistochemical PPARγ staining was examined in 83 HCC specimens to investigate the clinicopathological correlations between PPARγ expression and various parameters. The functional role of PPARγ was determined via PPARγ overexpression and knockdown in HCC cells. Patients with low HCC tissue PPARγ expression were significantly younger (p = 0.006), and exhibited more tumor numbers (p = 0.038), more macroscopic vascular invasion (MVI) (p = 0.008), and more advanced TNM (size of primary tumor, number of regional lymph nodes, and distant metastasis) stages at diagnosis (p = 0.013) than patients with high HCC tissue PPARγ expression. PPARγ knockdown increased HCC cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis, while PPARγ overexpression reduced HCC cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis. These results suggest that low PPARγ expression is an independent predictor of more MVI in HCC patients. PPARγ contributes to the suppression of HCC cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis. Therefore, PPARγ may be a therapeutic target in HCC patients.
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Feng Q, Wu LQ. Relationship between KLF4 and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2016; 24:497-504. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v24.i4.497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are a family of transcription factors with zinc finger structure, which play a key role in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and embryonic development. KLF4 is an important member of the KLF family, and it is highly expressed in primary hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. However, the mechanism of KLF4 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma remains to be explored. This paper reviews the biological function of KLF4 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Vitamin D and the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:6213872. [PMID: 26880977 PMCID: PMC4736588 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6213872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies support reciprocal regulation between the active vitamin D derivative 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Thus, 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibits EMT via the induction of a variety of target genes that encode cell adhesion and polarity proteins responsible for the epithelial phenotype and through the repression of key EMT inducers. Both direct and indirect regulatory mechanisms mediate these effects. Conversely, certain master EMT inducers inhibit 1,25(OH)2D3 action by repressing the transcription of VDR gene encoding the high affinity vitamin D receptor that mediates 1,25(OH)2D3 effects. Consequently, the balance between the strength of 1,25(OH)2D3 signaling and the induction of EMT defines the cellular phenotype in each context. Here we review the current understanding of the genes and mechanisms involved in the interplay between 1,25(OH)2D3 and EMT.
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