Cell-Autonomous Requirement of Shp2 and β-Catenin for Myc-Driven Hepatocarcinogenesis Revealed by Single Cell RNA-Sequencing
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE157561 | GEO | 2021/12/01
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:Cell-Autonomous Requirement of Shp2 and β-Catenin for Myc-Driven Hepatocarcinogenesis Revealed by Single Cell RNA-Sequencing
| PRJNA661754 | ENA
Project description:BACKGROUND & AIMS:Shp2 is an SH2-tyrosine phosphatase acting downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Most recent data demonstrated a liver tumor-suppressing role for Shp2, as ablating Shp2 in hepatocytes aggravated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by chemical carcinogens or Pten loss. We further investigated the effect of Shp2 deficiency on liver tumorigenesis driven by classical oncoproteins c-Met (receptor for HGF), ?-catenin and PIK3CA. METHODS:We performed hydrodynamic tail vein injection of two pairs of plasmids expressing c-Met and ?N90-?-catenin (MET/CAT), or c-Met and PIK3CAH1047R (MET/PIK), into WT and Shp2hep-/- mice. We compared liver tumor loads and investigated the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms involved using multidisciplinary approaches. RESULTS:Despite the induction of oxidative and metabolic stresses, Shp2 deletion in hepatocytes suppressed hepatocarcinogenesis driven by overexpression of oncoproteins MET/CAT or MET/PIK. Shp2 loss inhibited proliferative signaling from c-Met, Wnt/?-catenin, Ras/Erk and PI3K/Akt pathways, but triggered cell senescence following exogenous expression of the oncogenes. CONCLUSIONS:Shp2, acting downstream of RTKs, is positively required for hepatocyte-intrinsic tumorigenic signaling from these oncoproteins, even if Shp2 deficiency induces a tumor-promoting hepatic microenvironment. These data suggest a new and more effective therapeutic strategy for HCCs driven by oncogenic RTKs and other upstream molecules, by inhibiting Shp2 and also suppressing any tumor-enhancing stromal factors produced because of Shp2 inhibition. LAY SUMMARY:Primary liver cancer is a malignant disease with poor prognosis, largely because there are limited systemic therapies available. We show here that a cytoplasmic tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 is required for liver tumorigenesis. This tumorigenesis is driven by two oncoproteins that are implicated in human liver cancer. This, together with our previous studies, uncovers the complexity of liver tumorigenesis, by elucidating the pro- and anti-tumor effects of Shp2 in mouse models. This data can be used to guide new therapies.
| S-EPMC6008184 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background & aimsMyc is involved in cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, energy metabolism, and differentiation. Whether it is essential for hepatocellular proliferation and carcinogenesis is unclear due to a lack of an efficient hepatocyte-specific Myc disruption model. This study used a novel genetic model to investigate the involvement of Myc in hepatocellular proliferation and hepatocarcinogenesis in mice.MethodsTemporal hepatocyte-specific Myc disruption was achieved by use of the tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ER(T2) recombinase system under control of the serum albumin promoter. Hepatocyte proliferation was assessed by administering peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) agonist Wy-14,643. A diethylnitrosamine-induced liver cancer model was used to evaluate the role of Myc in hepatocarcinogenesis.ResultsTamoxifen administration induced recombination of Myc specifically in hepatocytes of Myc(fl/fl,ERT2-Cre) mice. When treated with a known hepatocellular proliferative stimulus Wy-14,643, Myc(fl/fl,ERT2-Cre) mice showed a lower liver/body weight ratio and suppressed hepatocyte proliferation as compared to Myc(fl/fl) mice. Hepatic expression of cell cycle control genes, DNA repair genes, and Myc target gene miRNAs were upregulated in Wy-14,643-treated Myc(fl/fl) mouse livers, but not in Wy-14,643-treated Myc(fl/fl,ERT2-Cre) livers. However, no differences were observed in the lipid-lowering effect of Wy-14,643 between Myc(fl/fl,ERT2-Cre) and Myc(fl/fl) mice, consistent with no differences in the expression of several PPARα target genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation. Moreover, when subjected to the diethylnitrosamine liver cancer bioassay, Myc(fl/fl,ERT2-Cre) mice exhibited a markedly lower incidence of tumor formation compared with Myc(fl/fl) mice.ConclusionsMyc plays an essential role in hepatocellular proliferation and liver tumorigenesis.
| S-EPMC3909877 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths, but its molecular heterogeneity hampers the design of targeted therapies. Currently, the only therapeutic option for advanced HCC is Sorafenib, an inhibitor whose targets include RAF. Unexpectedly, RAF1 expression is reduced in human HCC samples. Modelling RAF1 downregulation by RNAi increases the proliferation of human HCC lines in xenografts and in culture; furthermore, RAF1 ablation promotes chemical hepatocarcinogenesis and the proliferation of cultured (pre)malignant mouse hepatocytes. The phenotypes depend on increased YAP1 expression and STAT3 activation, observed in cultured RAF1-deficient cells, in HCC xenografts, and in autochthonous liver tumours. Thus RAF1, although essential for the development of skin and lung tumours, is a negative regulator of hepatocarcinogenesis. This unexpected finding highlights the contribution of the cellular/tissue environment in determining the function of a protein, and underscores the importance of understanding the molecular context of a disease to inform therapy design.
| S-EPMC5187498 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background & aimsComplex communications between hepatocytes and Kupffer cells (KCs) are known to drive or suppress hepatocarcinogenesis, with controversial data in the literature. In previous experiments that aimed to decipher hepatocyte/KC interactions, we unexpectedly unveiled a tumor-suppressing effect of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, a widely used inducer of MX dynamin like GTPase 1 (Mx1)-cre expression, which questioned a theory of interleukin 1a/6 cytokine circuit in hepatocyte/KC communication. The goal of this study was to clarify the controversy and decipher unique functions of KCs and non-KC macrophages in liver tumorigenesis.MethodsWe used the C-type lectin domain family 4 member F (Clec4f)-cre system to delete Src-homology 2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 (Shp2)/protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor 11 (Ptpn11) in KCs, and a combination of Clec4f-cre and adeno-associated virus-cre to delete Shp2 in KCs and hepatocytes to investigate the effects on hepatocellular carcinoma development and immune cell compositions/activities.ResultsAblating Shp2 in KCs generated a tumor-promoting niche, which was exacerbated further by concurrent removal of Shp2 in both KCs and hepatocytes. Shp2 deficiency induced KC apoptosis and decreased its numbers, which induced compensatory recruitment of bone marrow-derived monocytes into liver. These newly recruited monocytes differentiated into non-KC macrophages with tumor-associated macrophage function, leading to aggravated tumor progression through down-regulation of CD8 T cells. Tumor-associated macrophage blockade by anti-chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) antibody inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma progression, while depletion of all macrophages had a tumor-promoting effect by increasing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs) and decreasing CD8 T cells.ConclusionsShp2 loss in KCs or hepatocytes generated a protumorigenic microenvironment, which was exacerbated by its removal in both cell types. These results show the complexity of intercellular signaling events in liver tumorigenesis and raises caution on the use of specific Shp2 inhibitor in liver cancer therapy. Transcript profiling: RNA sequencing data are available at Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE222594).
| S-EPMC10140795 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Both activating and inactivating mutations in catenin β1 (ctnnb1), which encodes β-catenin, have been implicated in liver tumorigenesis in humans and mice, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Herein, we show that deletion of endogenous β-catenin in hepatocytes aggravated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development driven by an oncogenic version of β-catenin (CAT) in combination with the hepatocyte growth factor receptor MET proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (MET). Although the mitogenic signaling and cell cycle progression was modestly impaired after CAT/MET transfection, the β-catenin-deficient livers displayed changes in transcriptomes, increased DNA damage response, expanded Sox9+ cells, and up-regulation of protumorigenic cytokines, including interleukin-6 and transforming growth factor β1. These events eventually exacerbated CAT/MET-driven hepatocarcinogenesis in β-catenin-deficient livers, featured by up-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk), protein kinase B (Akt), and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and cyclin D1 expression. The resultant mouse tumors showed similar transcriptomes to human HCC samples with concomitant CTNNB1 mutations and MET overexpression.ConclusionThese data argue that while dominantly activating mutants of β-catenin are oncogenic, inhibiting the oncogenic signaling pathway generates a pro-oncogenic microenvironment that may facilitate HCC recurrence following a targeted therapy of the primary tumor. An effective therapeutic strategy must require disruption of the oncogenic signaling in tumor cells and suppression of the secondary tumor-promoting stromal effects in the liver microenvironment. (Hepatology 2018;67:1807-1822).
| S-EPMC5906147 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide and most patients with HCC have limited treatment options. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is overexpressed in many HCC specimens, offering a potential target for HCC treatment. However, the role of FAK in hepatocarcinogenesis remains elusive. Establishing whether FAK expression plays a role in HCC development is necessary to determine whether it is a viable therapeutic target. In this study, we generated mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Fak and investigated the role of Fak in an oncogenic (c-MET/?-catenin, MET/CAT)-driven HCC model. We found that deletion of Fak in hepatocytes did not affect morphology, proliferation, or apoptosis. However, Fak deficiency significantly repressed MET/CAT-induced tumor development and prolonged survival of animals with MET/CAT-induced HCC. In mouse livers and HCC cell lines, Fak was activated by MET, which induced the activation of Akt/Erk and up-regulated cyclin D1 and tumor cell proliferation. CAT enhanced MET-stimulated FAK activation and synergistically induced the activation of the AKT/ERK-cyclin D1 signaling pathway in a FAK kinase-dependent manner. In addition, FAK was required for CAT-induced cyclin D1 expression in a kinase-independent fashion.Fak is required for c-Met/?-catenin-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Inhibition of FAK provides a potential strategy to treat HCC.
| S-EPMC4280291 | biostudies-other
Project description:Hepatocarcinogenesis is a multistage process in which precursor lesions progress into early hepatocellular carcinomas (eHCC) by sequential accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations. To decode the molecular events during early stages of liver carcinogenesis, we performed gene expression profiling on cirrhotic (regenerative) and dysplastic nodules (DN), as well as eHCC. Although considerable heterogeneity was observed at the regenerative and dysplastic stages, overall, 460 differentially expressed genes were detected between DN and eHCC. Functional analysis of the significant gene set identified the MYC oncogene as a plausible driver gene for malignant conversion of the DNs. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis revealed global activation of the MYC up-regulated gene set in eHCC versus dysplasia. Presence of the MYC signature significantly correlated with increased expression of CSN5, as well as with higher overall transcription rate of genes located in the 8q chromosome region. Furthermore, a classifier constructed from MYC target genes could robustly discriminate eHCC from high-grade and low-grade DNs. In conclusion, our study identified unique expression patterns associated with the transition of high-grade DNs into eHCC and showed that activation of the MYC transcription signature is strongly associated with the malignant conversion of preneoplastic liver lesions.
| S-EPMC2680077 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly form of liver malignancy with limited treatment options. Amplification and/or overexpression of c-MYC is one of the most frequent genetic events in human HCC. The mammalian target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) is a major functional axis regulating various aspects of cellular growth and metabolism. Recently, we demonstrated that mTORC1 is necessary for c-Myc driven hepatocarcinogenesis as well as for HCC cell growth in vitro. Among the pivotal downstream effectors of mTORC1, upregulation of Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) and its mediated de novo lipogenesis is a hallmark of human HCC. Here, we investigated the importance of FASN on c-Myc-dependent hepatocarcinogenesis using in vitro and in vivo approaches. In mouse and human HCC cells, we found that FASN suppression by either gene silencing or soluble inhibitors more effectively suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis in the presence of high c-MYC expression. In c-Myc/Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) mouse liver tumor lesions, FASN expression was markedly upregulated. Most importantly, genetic ablation of Fasn profoundly delayed (without abolishing) c-Myc/MCL1 induced HCC formation. Liver tumors developing in c-Myc/MCL1 mice depleted of Fasn showed a reduction in proliferation and an increase in apoptosis when compared with corresponding lesions from c-Myc/MCL1 mice with an intact Fasn gene. In human HCC samples, a significant correlation between the levels of c-MYC transcriptional activity and the expression of FASN mRNA was detected. Altogether, our study indicates that FASN is an important effector downstream of mTORC1 in c-MYC induced HCC. Targeting FASN may be helpful for the treatment of human HCC, at least in the tumor subset displaying c-MYC amplification or activation.
| S-EPMC7696085 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a primary malignancy of the liver, is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 (FGF19) is one of the most frequently amplified genes in HCC patients. Moreover, mice expressing an FGF19 transgene have been shown to develop HCC. However, the downstream signalling pathways that mediate FGF19-dependent tumorigenesis remain to be deciphered. Here we show that FGF19 triggers a previously unsuspected, non-cell-autonomous program to activate STAT3 signalling in hepatocytes through IL-6 produced in the liver microenvironment. We show that the hepatocyte-specific deletion of Stat3, genetic ablation of Il6, treatment with a neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody or administration of a small-molecule JAK inhibitor, abolishes FGF19-induced tumorigenesis, while the regulatory functions of FGF19 in bile acid, glucose and energy metabolism remain intact. Collectively, these data reveal a key role for the IL-6/STAT3 axis in potentiating FGF19-driven HCC in mice, a finding which may have translational relevance in HCC pathogenesis.
| S-EPMC5440856 | biostudies-literature