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NUPR1, a new target in liver cancer: implication in controlling cell growth, migration, invasion and sorafenib resistance.

ABSTRACT: Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only approved agent for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its benefits are modest, and as its mechanisms of action remain elusive, a better understanding of its anticancer effects is needed. Based on our previous study results, we investigated here the implication of the nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) in HCC and its role in sorafenib treatment. NUPR1 is a stress-inducible protein that is overexpressed in various malignancies, but its role in HCC is not yet fully understood. We found that NUPR1 expression was significantly higher in primary human HCC samples than in the normal liver. Knockdown of NUPR1 significantly increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib and inhibited the cell growth, migration and invasion of HCC cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, NUPR1 silencing influenced the expression of RELB and IER3 genes. Unsurprisingly, RELB and IER3 knockdown also inhibited HCC cell viability, growth and migration. Using gene expression profiling of HCC cells following stable NUPR1 knockdown, we found that genes functionally involved in cell death and survival, cellular response to therapies, lipid metabolism, cell growth and proliferation, molecular transport and cellular movement were mostly suppressed. Network analysis of dynamic gene expression identified NF-?B and ERK as downregulated gene nodes, and several HCC-related oncogenes were also suppressed. We identified Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) gene as a NUPR1-regulated gene and demonstrated that RUNX2 gene silencing inhibits HCC cell viability, growth, migration and increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib. We propose that the NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway has a pivotal role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The identification of the NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway as a potential therapeutic target may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for HCC management.

SUBMITTER: Emma MR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5143401 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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NUPR1, a new target in liver cancer: implication in controlling cell growth, migration, invasion and sorafenib resistance.

Emma M R MR Iovanna J L JL Bachvarov D D Puleio R R Loria G R GR Augello G G Candido S S Libra M M Gulino A A Cancila V V McCubrey J A JA Montalto G G Cervello M M

Cell death & disease 20160623 6

Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only approved agent for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its benefits are modest, and as its mechanisms of action remain elusive, a better understanding of its anticancer effects is needed. Based on our previous study results, we investigated here the implication of the nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) in HCC and its role in sorafenib treatment. NUPR1 is a stress-inducible protein that is overexpressed in various maligna ...[more]

PMID: 27336713

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Project description:Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only approved agent for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its benefits is modest, also because its mechanism of action remains elusive, therefore, a better understanding of its molecular action and molecular targets are needed. On the basis of our previous studies, here, we investigated the role of the nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) in HCC and its role in the context of sorafenib treatment. NUPR1 is a stress-inducible protein over-expressed in different malignancies, however, its role in HCC is not yet fully understood. We found that NUPR1, is over-expressed in 53% of primary human HCC samples. Knockdown of NUPR1 significantly increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib and inhibits cell growth, migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. Moreover, NUPR1 silencing influenced expression of target genes RelB and IER3. Unsurprisingly, RelB and IER3 knockdown also inhibited HCC cells viability, growth and migration. By gene expression profiling of HCC cells following stable NUPR1 knockdown, we found that genes functionally involved in cell death and survival, cellular response to therapies, lipid metabolism, cell growth and proliferation, molecular transport and cellular movement were mostly suppressed. Network analysis of dynamic gene expression identified NF-ÎºB and ERK as down-regulated gene nodes, and several genes known to be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis were also suppressed. In addition, we identified Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) gene as a NUPR1 down-regulated gene. We also demonstrated that RUNX2 gene silencing inhibited HCC cells viability, growth, migration and increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib. Conclusion: We propose that NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway play pivotal role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The identification of NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway as a potential therapeutic target may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for HCC management. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of NUPR1 gene action in ovarian HCC cells, we employed the Agilent Whole Human Genome microarrays, containing ~ 44,000 genes to identify global gene expression changes upon NUPR1 suppression in HCC cells. We compared the gene expression of the previously selected shRNA-mediated NURP1-knockdown Hep3B clone against the corresponding control (ctrl) clone. The microarray experiments were performed in duplicates, as two hybridizations were carried out for the NUPR1-suppressing cell clone against the corresponding control, using a fluorescent dye reversal (dye-swap) technique.

Project description:Sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, is the only approved agent for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its benefits is modest, also because its mechanism of action remains elusive, therefore, a better understanding of its molecular action and molecular targets are needed. On the basis of our previous studies, here, we investigated the role of the nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) in HCC and its role in the context of sorafenib treatment. NUPR1 is a stress-inducible protein over-expressed in different malignancies, however, its role in HCC is not yet fully understood. We found that NUPR1, is over-expressed in 53% of primary human HCC samples. Knockdown of NUPR1 significantly increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib and inhibits cell growth, migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. Moreover, NUPR1 silencing influenced expression of target genes RelB and IER3. Unsurprisingly, RelB and IER3 knockdown also inhibited HCC cells viability, growth and migration. By gene expression profiling of HCC cells following stable NUPR1 knockdown, we found that genes functionally involved in cell death and survival, cellular response to therapies, lipid metabolism, cell growth and proliferation, molecular transport and cellular movement were mostly suppressed. Network analysis of dynamic gene expression identified NF-κB and ERK as down-regulated gene nodes, and several genes known to be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis were also suppressed. In addition, we identified Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) gene as a NUPR1 down-regulated gene. We also demonstrated that RUNX2 gene silencing inhibited HCC cells viability, growth, migration and increased cell sensitivity to sorafenib. Conclusion: We propose that NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway play pivotal role in hepatocarcinogenesis. The identification of NUPR1/RELB/IER3/RUNX2 pathway as a potential therapeutic target may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies for HCC management.

Project description:Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), an inhibitor of the most frequently impaired signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, seems to fulfill contradictory functions in the process of tumorigenesis, acting either as an oncogenic promoter of metastasis or as a tumor suppressor. Elevated serum levels of DKK1 have been reported in HCC; however, little is known about its functional significance. In the current study, we treated HepG2/C3A and PLC/PRF/5 with the recombinant protein DKK1. Cytotoxicity was first determined by the WST-8 assay. AFP expression was measured at both the mRNA and protein levels. Expression of the oncogenes MYC, CCND1, hTERT, and MDM2 and the tumor suppressor genes TP53, P21 and RB was assessed. Western blot analysis of non-phosphorylated ẞ-catenin and Sanger sequencing were performed to explain the functional differences between the two cell lines. Subsequently, inflammation, migration and invasion were evaluated by qPCR, ELISA, the Boyden chamber assay, zymography, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 western blot analysis. Knockdown of DKK1 and TGF-β1 were also performed. Our results suggest that DKK1 exerts an oncogenic effect on HepG2/C3A cell line by upregulating the expression of oncogenes and downregulating that of tumor suppressor genes, whereas the opposite effect was demonstrated in PLC/PRF/5 cells. This differential impact of DKK1 can be explained by the mutations that affect the canonical Wnt pathway that were detected in exon 3 of the CTNNB1 gene in the HepG2 cell line. We further confirmed that DKK1 promotes inflammation, tumor invasion and migration in both cell types. The canonical pathway was not responsible for the DKK1 proinvasive effect, as indicated by the active ẞ-catenin levels in the two cell lines upon DKK1 treatment. Interestingly, knockdown of TGF-β1 negatively affected the DKK1 proinvasive effect. Taken together, DKK1 appears to facilitate tumor invasion and migration through TGF- β1 by remodeling the tumor microenvironment and inducing inflammation. This finding endorses the relevance of TGF-β1 as a therapeutic target.

Project description:To date, the role of hematopoietic-substrate-1-associated protein X-1 (HAX1) in liver cancer is rarely studied. The present study explored the role of HAX1 in liver cancer. The association between HAX1 expression and survival of patients with liver cancer was analyzed by a log-rank test. The target genes for HAX1 was predicted by TargetScan and verified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The protein and mRNA expressions of HAX1 in liver cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The transfection efficiency of HAX1, small interfering RNA against HAX1, microRNA (miR)-125a mimics, miR-125a inhibitor, miR-223 mimics and miR-223 inhibitor in liver cancer cells was determined by RT-qPCR. The expression of HAX1, p53, VEGF, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin) in the cancer cells were determined by western blotting and RT-qPCR. Cell viability, migration, invasion and colony formation rates were determined by Cell Counting Kot-8, wound healing, Transwell and colony formation assays, respectively. The results showed that high expression of HAX1 in liver cancer was found relate to poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer, and upregulation of HAX1 expression in liver cancer tissues was related to lower overall survival. miR-125a-5p directly binds to HAX1. Upregulation of miR-125a-5p expression inhibited cell viability, migration, invasion and colony formation of SK-Hep1 cells and reduced the expression of HAX1, VEGF, N-cadherin and vimentin, but increased cell apoptosis and the expression of p53 and E-cadherin. However, the effects miR-125a-5p upregulation were partially reversed by SK-Hep1 cells with HAX1 overexpression. Downregulated miR-125a-5p in SNU-387 cells produced opposite effects, which was partially reversed by HAX silencing. In conclusion, miR-125a-5p suppresses liver cancer growth via targeting HAX1 and concurrently modulating the expression of p53 and VEGF and EMT-related markers.

Dataset Information

NUPR1, a new target in liver cancer: implication in controlling cell growth, migration, invasion and sorafenib resistance.

Publications

NUPR1, a new target in liver cancer: implication in controlling cell growth, migration, invasion and sorafenib resistance.

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