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VanSant-Webb C, Low HK, Kuramoto J, Stanley CE, Qiang H, Su AY, Ross AN, Cooper CG, Cox JE, Summers SA, Evason KJ, Ducker GS. Phospholipid isotope tracing suggests β-catenin-driven suppression of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2024; 1869:159514. [PMID: 38795827 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2024.159514] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Activating mutations in the CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin are among the most frequently observed oncogenic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Profound alterations in lipid metabolism, including increases in fatty acid oxidation and transformation of the phospholipidome, occur in HCC with CTNNB1 mutations, but it is unclear what mechanisms give rise to these changes. We employed untargeted lipidomics and targeted isotope tracing to measure phospholipid synthesis activity in an inducible human liver cell line expressing mutant β-catenin, as well as in transgenic zebrafish with activated β-catenin-driven HCC. In both models, activated β-catenin expression was associated with large changes in the lipidome including conserved increases in acylcarnitines and ceramides and decreases in triglycerides. Lipid isotope tracing analysis in human cells revealed a reduction in phosphatidylcholine (PC) production rates as assayed by choline incorporation. We developed lipid isotope tracing analysis for zebrafish tumors and observed reductions in phosphatidylcholine synthesis by both the CDP-choline and PEMT pathways. The observed changes in the β-catenin-driven HCC phospholipidome suggest that zebrafish can recapitulate conserved features of HCC lipid metabolism and may serve as a model for identifying future HCC-specific lipid metabolic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad VanSant-Webb
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Hayden K Low
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Junko Kuramoto
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Hantao Qiang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Audrey Y Su
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Alexis N Ross
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Chad G Cooper
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - James E Cox
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Scott A Summers
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah College of Health, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Gregory S Ducker
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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VanSant-Webb C, Low HK, Kuramoto J, Stanley CE, Qiang H, Su A, Ross AN, Cooper CG, Cox JE, Summers SA, Evason KJ, Ducker GS. Phospholipid isotope tracing reveals β-catenin-driven suppression of phosphatidylcholine metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.12.562134. [PMID: 37904922 PMCID: PMC10614757 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.12.562134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Activating mutations in the CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin are among the most frequently observed oncogenic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC with CTNNB1 mutations show profound alterations in lipid metabolism including increases in fatty acid oxidation and transformation of the phospholipidome, but it is unclear how these changes arise and whether they contribute to the oncogenic program in HCC. Methods We employed untargeted lipidomics and targeted isotope tracing to quantify phospholipid production fluxes in an inducible human liver cell line expressing mutant β-catenin, as well as in transgenic zebrafish with activated β-catenin-driven HCC. Results In both models, activated β-catenin expression was associated with large changes in the lipidome including conserved increases in acylcarnitines and ceramides and decreases in triglycerides. Lipid flux analysis in human cells revealed a large reduction in phosphatidylcholine (PC) production rates as assayed by choline tracer incorporation. We developed isotope tracing lipid flux analysis for zebrafish and observed similar reductions in phosphatidylcholine synthesis flux accomplished by sex-specific mechanisms. Conclusions The integration of isotope tracing with lipid abundances highlights specific lipid class transformations downstream of β-catenin signaling in HCC and suggests future HCC-specific lipid metabolic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad VanSant-Webb
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hayden K Low
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Junko Kuramoto
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Claire E Stanley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Hantao Qiang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Audrey Su
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Alexis N Ross
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Chad G Cooper
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - James E Cox
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
| | - Scott A Summers
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah College of Health. Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Salt Lake City UT, 84112 USA
| | - Gregory S Ducker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine. Salt Lake City UT, 84112, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Salt Lake City UT, 84112 USA
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Bowman KER, Ahne L, O'Brien L, Vander Mause ER, Lu P, Wallis B, Evason KJ, Lim CS. p53-Bad* Fusion Gene Therapy Induces Apoptosis In Vitro and Reduces Zebrafish Tumor Burden in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:331-340. [PMID: 36490361 PMCID: PMC10760808 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With few curative treatments and a global yearly death rate of over 800,000, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) desperately needs new therapies. Although wild-type p53 gene therapy has been shown to be safe in HCC patients, it has not shown enough efficacy to merit approval. This work aims to show how p53 can be re-engineered through fusion to the pro-apoptotic BH3 protein Bcl-2 antagonist of cell death (Bad) to improve anti-HCC activity and potentially lead to a novel HCC therapeutic, p53-Bad*. p53-Bad* is a fusion of p53 and Bad, with two mutations, S112A and S136A. We determined mitochondrial localization of p53-Bad* in liver cancer cell lines with varying p53 mutation statuses via fluorescence microscopy. We defined the apoptotic activity of p53-Bad* in four liver cancer cell lines using flow cytometry. To determine the effects of p53-Bad* in vivo, we generated and analyzed transgenic zebrafish expressing hepatocyte-specific p53-Bad*. p53-Bad* localized to the mitochondria regardless of the p53 mutation status and demonstrated superior apoptotic activity over WT p53 in early, middle, and late apoptosis assays. Tumor burden in zebrafish HCC was reduced by p53-Bad* as measured by the liver-to-body mass ratio and histopathology. p53-Bad* induced significant apoptosis in zebrafish HCC as measured by TUNEL staining but did not induce apoptosis in non-HCC fish. p53-Bad* can induce apoptosis in a panel of liver cancer cell lines with varying p53 mutation statuses and induce apoptosis/reduce HCC tumor burden in vivo in zebrafish. p53-Bad* warrants further investigation as a potential new HCC therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Redd Bowman
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Lisa Ahne
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Institute of Pharmacy, Experimental Pharmacology for Natural Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Liam O'Brien
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Erica R Vander Mause
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Phong Lu
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Bryce Wallis
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Carol S Lim
- Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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Shen Q, He Y, Qian J, Wang X. Identifying tumor immunity-associated molecular features in liver hepatocellular carcinoma by multi-omics analysis. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:960457. [PMID: 36339710 PMCID: PMC9632276 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.960457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Although current immunotherapies have achieved some successes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, their benefits are limited for most HCC patients. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers for promoting immunotherapeutic responses in HCC is urgently needed. Methods: Using the TCGA HCC cohort, we investigated correlations of various molecular features with antitumor immune signatures (CD8+ T cell infiltration and cytolytic activity) and an immunosuppressive signature (PD-L1 expression) in HCC. These molecular features included mRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), proteins, and pathways. Results: We found that the mutations of several oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes significantly correlated with reduced antitumor immune signatures, including TTN, CTNNB1, RB1, ZFHX4, and TP53. It indicates that these genes’ mutations may inhibit antitumor immune responses in HCC. Four proteins (Syk, Lck, STAT5, and Caspase-7) had significant positive expression correlations with CD8+ T cell enrichment, cytolytic activity, and PD-L1 expression in HCC. It suggests that these proteins’ expression could be useful biomarkers for the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors Similiarly, we identified other types of biomarkers potentially useful for predicting the response to ICIs, including miRNAs (hsa-miR-511-5p, 150-3p, 342-3p, 181a-3p, 625-5p, 4772-3p, 155-3p, 142-5p, 142-3p, 155-5p, 625-3p, 1976, 7702), many lncRNAs, and pathways (apoptosis, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Jak-STAT signaling, MAPK signaling, PI3K-AKT signaling, HIF-1 signaling, ECM receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and estrogen signaling). Further, tumor mutation burden showed no significant correlation with antitumor immunity, while tumor aneuploidy levels showed a significant negative correlation with antitumor immunity. Conclusion: The molecular features significantly associated with HCC immunity could be predictive biomarkers for immunotherapeutic responses in HCC patients. They could also be potential intervention targets for boosting antitumor immunity and immunotherapeutic responses in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyun Shen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yin He
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiajie Qian
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaosheng Wang
- Biomedical Informatics Research Lab, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- Cancer Genomics Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- Big Data Research Institute, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaosheng Wang,
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5
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Liu F, Gai X, Wu Y, Zhang B, Wu X, Cheng R, Tang B, Shang K, Zhao N, Deng W, Chen J, Zhang Z, Gu S, Zheng L, Zhang H. Oncogenic β-catenin stimulation of AKT2-CAD-mediated pyrimidine synthesis is targetable vulnerability in liver cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202157119. [PMID: 36122209 PMCID: PMC9522414 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202157119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
CTNNB1, encoding β-catenin protein, is the most frequently altered proto-oncogene in hepatic neoplasms. In this study, we studied the significance and pathological mechanism of CTNNB1 gain-of-function mutations in hepatocarcinogenesis. Activated β-catenin not only triggered hepatic tumorigenesis but also exacerbated Tp53 deletion or hepatitis B virus infection-mediated liver cancer development in mouse models. Using untargeted metabolomic profiling, we identified boosted de novo pyrimidine synthesis as the major metabolic aberration in β-catenin mutant cell lines and livers. Oncogenic β-catenin transcriptionally stimulated AKT2, which then phosphorylated the rate-limiting de novo pyrimidine synthesis enzyme CAD (carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamoylase, dihydroorotase) on S1406 and S1859 to potentiate nucleotide synthesis. Moreover, inhibition of β-catenin/AKT2-stimulated pyrimidine synthesis axis preferentially repressed β-catenin mutant cell proliferation and tumor formation. Therefore, β-catenin active mutations are oncogenic in various preclinical liver cancer models. Stimulation of β-catenin/AKT2/CAD signaling cascade on pyrimidine synthesis is an essential and druggable vulnerability for β-catenin mutant liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Xiaochen Gai
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Yuting Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Baohui Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wu
- Institute of Pediatric Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Rongrong Cheng
- Institute of Pediatric Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Bufu Tang
- Department of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China
| | - Kezhuo Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Na Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Weiwei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Zhengyi Zhang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Song Gu
- Department of General Surgery/Surgical Oncology Center, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Liang Zheng
- Institute of Pediatric Translational Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Fujian Branch of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Fujian Children's Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350014, China
| | - Hongbing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
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6
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Zhang Q, Yu X, Zhang S, Guo W, He Y. Molecular characteristics of novel immune subtypes of HCC based on lncRNAs related to immune disorders. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8905. [PMID: 35618810 PMCID: PMC9135727 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13013-7] [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: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of the most malignant cancers and despite various treatment breakthroughs, the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unsatisfactory. The immune status of the tumor microenvironment (TME) relates closely to HCC progression; however, the mechanism of immune cell infiltration in the TME remains unclear. In this study, we performed a new combination algorithm on lncRNA expression profile data from the TCGA-LIHC cohort to identify lncRNAs related to immune disorders. We identified 20 immune disorder-related lncRNAs and clustered HCC samples based on these lncRNAs. We identified four clusters with differences in immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint gene expression. We further analyzed differences between groups 1 and 3 and found that the poor prognosis of group 3 may be due to specific and non-specific immunosuppression of the TME, upregulation of immune checkpoint pathways, and activation of tumor proliferation and migration pathways in group 3. We also developed a prognostic model and verified that it has good stability, effectiveness, and prognostic power. This study provides a basis for further exploration of the immune cell infiltration mechanism in HCC, differential HCC prognosis, and improvement of the efficacy of ICIs for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyao Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Wenzhi Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. .,Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. .,Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. .,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Yuting He
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. .,Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. .,Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China. .,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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7
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Kalasekar SM, VanSant-Webb CH, Evason KJ. Intratumor Heterogeneity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Challenges and Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5524. [PMID: 34771685 PMCID: PMC8582820 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a leading cause of cancer-related death, but it remains difficult to treat. Intratumor genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity are inherent properties of breast, skin, lung, prostate, and brain tumors, and intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) helps define prognosis and therapeutic response in these cancers. Several recent studies estimate that ITH is inherent to HCC and attribute the clinical intractability of HCC to this heterogeneity. In this review, we examine the evidence for genomic, phenotypic, and tumor microenvironment ITH in HCC, with a focus on two of the top molecular drivers of HCC: β-catenin (CTNNB1) and Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). We discuss the influence of ITH on HCC diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy, while highlighting the gaps in knowledge and possible future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kimberley J. Evason
- Department of Pathology and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (S.M.K.); (C.H.V.-W.)
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8
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Luo J, Lu C, Feng M, Dai L, Wang M, Qiu Y, Zheng H, Liu Y, Li L, Tang B, Xu C, Wang Y, Yang X. Cooperation between liver-specific mutations of pten and tp53 genetically induces hepatocarcinogenesis in zebrafish. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:262. [PMID: 34416907 PMCID: PMC8377946 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02061-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer, mainly hepatocellular carcinoma, is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide and has a poor prognosis due to insufficient understanding of hepatocarcinogenesis. Previous studies have revealed that the mutations in PTEN and TP53 are the two most common genetic events in hepatocarcinogenesis. Here, we illustrated the crosstalk between aberrant Pten and Tp53 pathways during hepatocarcinogenesis in zebrafish. METHODS We used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to establish several transgenic zebrafish lines with single or double tissue-specific mutations of pten and tp53 to genetically induce liver tumorigenesis. Next, the morphological and histological determination were performed to investigate the roles of Pten and Tp53 signalling pathways in hepatocarcinogenesis in zebrafish. RESULTS We demonstrated that Pten loss alone induces hepatocarcinogenesis with only low efficiency, whereas single mutation of tp53 failed to induce tumour formation in liver tissue in zebrafish. Moreover, zebrafish with double mutations of pten and tp53 exhibits a much higher tumour incidence, higher-grade histology, and a shorter survival time than single-mutant zebrafish, indicating that these two signalling pathways play important roles in dynamic biological events critical for the initiation and progression of hepatocarcinogenesis in zebrafish. Further histological and pathological analyses showed significant similarity between the tumours generated from liver tissues of zebrafish and humans. Furthermore, the treatment with MK-2206, a specific Akt inhibitor, effectively suppressed hepatocarcinogenesis in zebrafish. CONCLUSION Our findings will offer a preclinical animal model for genetically investigating hepatocarcinogenesis and provide a useful platform for high-throughput anticancer drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Luo
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Chunjiao Lu
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Meilan Feng
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lu Dai
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Maya Wang
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Qiu
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huilu Zheng
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Li Li
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bo Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The first Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- Integrative Cancer Center & Cancer Clinical Research Center, Cancer Center, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute Sichuan, School of Medicine University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Key laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xiaojun Yang
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
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9
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Kotiyal S, Evason KJ. Exploring the Interplay of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase and β-Catenin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164202. [PMID: 34439356 PMCID: PMC8393605 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Liver cancer is one of the deadliest human cancers. Two of the most common molecular aberrations in liver cancer are: (1) activating mutations in the gene encoding β-catenin (CTNNB1); and (2) promoter mutations in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Here, we review recent findings regarding the interplay between TERT and β-catenin in order to better understand their role in liver cancer. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest human cancers. Activating mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter (TERTp) and CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin are widespread in HCC (~50% and ~30%, respectively). TERTp mutations are predicted to increase TERT transcription and telomerase activity. This review focuses on exploring the role of TERT and β-catenin in HCC and the current findings regarding their interplay. TERT can have contradictory effects on tumorigenesis via both its canonical and non-canonical functions. As a critical regulator of proliferation and differentiation in progenitor and stem cells, activated β-catenin drives HCC; however, inhibiting endogenous β-catenin can also have pro-tumor effects. Clinical studies revealed a significant concordance between TERTp and CTNNB1 mutations in HCC. In stem cells, TERT acts as a co-factor in β-catenin transcriptional complexes driving the expression of WNT/β-catenin target genes, and β-catenin can bind to the TERTp to drive its transcription. A few studies have examined potential interactions between TERT and β-catenin in HCC in vivo, and their results suggest that the coexpression of these two genes promotes hepatocarcinogenesis. Further studies are required with vertebrate models to better understand how TERT and β-catenin influence hepatocarcinogenesis.
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10
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Režen T, Razpotnik R, Ferk P, Juvan P, Rozman D. From Whole Liver to Single Cell Transcriptomics in Sex-Dependent Liver Pathologies. SYSTEMS MEDICINE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801238-3.11646-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
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11
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Raby L, Völkel P, Le Bourhis X, Angrand PO. Genetic Engineering of Zebrafish in Cancer Research. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2168. [PMID: 32759814 PMCID: PMC7464884 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent model to study a wide diversity of human cancers. In this review, we provide an overview of the genetic and reverse genetic toolbox allowing the generation of zebrafish lines that develop tumors. The large spectrum of genetic tools enables the engineering of zebrafish lines harboring precise genetic alterations found in human patients, the generation of zebrafish carrying somatic or germline inheritable mutations or zebrafish showing conditional expression of the oncogenic mutations. Comparative transcriptomics demonstrate that many of the zebrafish tumors share molecular signatures similar to those found in human cancers. Thus, zebrafish cancer models provide a unique in vivo platform to investigate cancer initiation and progression at the molecular and cellular levels, to identify novel genes involved in tumorigenesis as well as to contemplate new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pierre-Olivier Angrand
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277–CANTHER–Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France; (L.R.); (P.V.); (X.L.B.)
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12
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Kotiyal S, Fulbright A, O'Brien LK, Evason KJ. Quantifying Liver Size in Larval Zebrafish Using Brightfield Microscopy. J Vis Exp 2020. [PMID: 32065169 DOI: 10.3791/60744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In several transgenic zebrafish models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatomegaly can be observed during early larval stages. Quantifying larval liver size in zebrafish HCC models provides a means to rapidly assess the effects of drugs and other manipulations on an oncogene-related phenotype. Here we show how to fix zebrafish larvae, dissect the tissues surrounding the liver, photograph livers using bright-field microscopy, measure liver area, and analyze results. This protocol enables rapid, precise quantification of liver size. As this method involves measuring liver area, it may underestimate differences in liver volume, and complementary methodologies are required to differentiate between changes in cell size and changes in cell number. The dissection technique described herein is an excellent tool to visualize the liver, gut, and pancreas in their natural positions for myriad downstream applications including immunofluorescence staining and in situ hybridization. The described strategy for quantifying larval liver size is applicable to many aspects of liver development and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srishti Kotiyal
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
| | - Alexis Fulbright
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
| | - Liam K O'Brien
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine
| | - Kimberley J Evason
- Department of Pathology, Department of Oncological Sciences, and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine;
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MicroRNAs in Animal Models of HCC. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121906. [PMID: 31805631 PMCID: PMC6966618 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Molecular heterogeneity and absence of biomarkers for patient allocation to the best therapeutic option contribute to poor prognosis of advanced stages. Aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with HCC development and progression and influences drug resistance. Therefore, miRNAs have been assayed as putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets. miRNA-based therapeutic approaches demonstrated safety profiles and antitumor efficacy in HCC animal models; nevertheless, caution should be used when transferring preclinical findings to the clinics, due to possible molecular inconsistency between animal models and the heterogeneous pattern of the human disease. In this context, models with defined genetic and molecular backgrounds might help to identify novel therapeutic options for specific HCC subgroups. In this review, we describe rodent models of HCC, emphasizing their representativeness with the human pathology and their usefulness as preclinical tools for assessing miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.
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