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Wu Q, Qiu Y, Guo J, Yuan Z, Yang Y, Zhu Q, Zhang Z, Guo J, Wu Y, Zhang J, Huang D, Tu K, Hu X. USP40 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and stemness by deubiquitinating and stabilizing Claudin1. Biol Direct 2024; 19:13. [PMID: 38308285 PMCID: PMC10837946 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-024-00456-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor that poses a major threat to people's lives and health. Previous studies have found that multiple deubiquitinating enzymes are involved in the pathogenesis of HCC. The purpose of this work was to elucidate the function and mechanism of the deubiquitinating enzyme USP40 in HCC progression. METHODS The expression of USP40 in human HCC tissues and HCC cell lines was investigated using RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to determine the crucial role of USP40 in HCC progression. The interaction between USP40 and Claudin1 was identified by immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays. RESULTS We discovered that USP40 is elevated in HCC tissues and predicts poor prognosis in HCC patients. USP40 knockdown inhibits HCC cell proliferation, migration and stemness, whereas USP40 overexpression shows the opposite impact. Furthermore, we confirmed that Claudin1 is a downstream gene of USP40. Mechanistically, USP40 interacts with Claudin1 and inhibits its polyubiquitination to stabilize Claudin1 protein. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that USP40 enhances HCC malignant development by deubiquitinating and stabilizing Claudin1, suggesting that targeting USP40 may be a novel approach for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingsong Wu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yuanyuan Qiu
- Department of Oncology, Teng Zhou Central People's Hospital Affiliated to Jining Medical College, Tengzhou, 277500, China
| | - Jinhui Guo
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Zibo Yuan
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Yingnan Yang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Qingwei Zhu
- The Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Junwei Guo
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Yanfang Wu
- Department of Hematology, The First People's Hospital of Fuyang Hangzhou, Hangzhou, 311402, China
| | - Junyu Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Lishui Central Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Lishui, 323020, China
| | - Dongsheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
| | - Kangsheng Tu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - Xiaoge Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
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