RHOF promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by altering the metabolic status of cancer cells via RAB3D

ABSTRACT: The mechanism by which tumor cells resist metabolic stress remains unclear, but many oncogenes are known to regulate this process. Accordingly, metabolic stress is closely associated with tumor metastasis. In this study, gene chip technology showed that RHOF, a member of the Rho GTPase family, is an oncogene that is significantly related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis; however, it has rarely been reported in tumors. This study was aimed to determine the clinicopathological significance and role of RHOF in HCC progression and investigate the associated mechanisms. The results showed that compared to expression in adjacent non-cancerous tissues, RHOF was frequently upregulated in HCC tumor samples and elevated under conditions of glucose deprivation. RHOF expression was associated with TNM stage, T grade, metastasis status, recurrence, and survival in HCC. RHOF also affected cell morphology and promoted migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cell lines. Analysis of the underlying mechanism showed that RHOF promoted the Warburg effect by upregulating the expression and function of several glycolytic enzymes in HCC cells. This metabolic shift enhanced HCC cell migration and invasion. Specifically, RHOF exerted tumor-promoting effect by directly interacting with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and increasing the phosphorylation of AMPK. This subsequently affected RAB3D mRNA stability and led to elevated RAB3D expression, thereby amplifying the Warburg effect and malignant biological behaviors of HCC cells. Therefore, RHOF helps tumor cells resist metabolic stress through modulating the Warburg effect and plays a critical role in promoting HCC cell migration, invasion, and EMT, highlighting its important role in remodeling the metastatic microenvironment and regulating tumor metastasis. RHOF shows potential as a new therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for HCC. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression associated with hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis and identified distinct classes of deregulated genes during this process.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE158408 | GEO | 2023/09/23

REPOSITORIES: GEO