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Kurosaki S, Nakagawa H, Hayata Y, Kawamura S, Matsushita Y, Yamada T, Uchino K, Hayakawa Y, Suzuki N, Hata M, Tsuboi M, Kinoshita H, Tanaka Y, Nakatsuka T, Hirata Y, Tateishi K, Koike K. Cell fate analysis of zone 3 hepatocytes in liver injury and tumorigenesis. JHEP Rep 2021; 3:100315. [PMID: 34345813 PMCID: PMC8319533 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2021.100315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Liver lobules are typically subdivided into 3 metabolic zones: zones 1, 2, and 3. However, the contribution of zonal differences in hepatocytes to liver regeneration, as well as to carcinogenic susceptibility, remains unclear. Methods We developed a new method for sustained genetic labelling of zone 3 hepatocytes and performed fate tracing to monitor these cells in multiple mouse liver tumour models. Results We first examined changes in the zonal distribution of the Wnt target gene Axin2 over time using Axin2-CreERT2;Rosa26-Lox-Stop-Lox-tdTomato mice (Axin2;tdTomato). We found that following tamoxifen administration at 3 weeks of age, approximately one-third of total hepatocytes that correspond to zone 3 were labelled in Axin2;tdTomato mice; the tdTomato+ cell distribution closely matched that of the zone 3 marker CYP2E1. Cell fate analysis revealed that zone 3 hepatocytes maintained their own lineage but rarely proliferated beyond their liver zonation during homoeostasis; this indicated that our protocol enabled persistent genetic labelling of zone 3 hepatocytes. Using this system, we found that zone 3 hepatocytes generally had high neoplastic potential, which was promoted by constitutive activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in the pericentral area. However, the frequency of zone 3 hepatocyte-derived tumours varied depending on the regeneration pattern of the liver parenchyma in response to liver injury. Notably, Axin2-expressing hepatocytes undergoing chronic liver injury significantly contributed to liver regeneration and possessed high neoplastic potential. Additionally, we revealed that the metabolic phenotypes of liver tumours were acquired during tumorigenesis, irrespective of their spatial origin. Conclusions Hepatocytes receiving Wnt/β-catenin signalling from their microenvironment have high neoplastic potential, and Wnt/β-catenin signalling is a potential drug target for the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. Lay summary Lineage tracing revealed that zone 3 hepatocytes residing in the pericentral niche have high neoplastic potential. Under chronic liver injury, hepatocytes receiving Wnt/β-catenin signalling broadly exist across all hepatic zones and significantly contribute to liver tumorigenesis as well as liver regeneration. Wnt/β-catenin signalling is a potential drug target for the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. We developed a new method for sustained genetic labelling of Zone 3 hepatocytes. Lineage tracing revealed that Zone 3 hepatocytes generally have high neoplastic potential. The frequency of Zone 3 hepatocyte-derived tumours varied depending on the regeneration pattern of liver parenchyma. Under chronic liver injury, hepatocytes receiving Wnt/β-catenin signalling significantly contributed to tumorigenesis. Wnt/β-catenin signalling is a potential drug target for the prevention of HCC.
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Key Words
- CDAHFD, choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet
- CPS1, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1
- CYP2E1, cytochrome P450 subfamily 2E1
- DEN, diethylnitrosamine
- GS, glutamine synthetase
- HAL, histidine ammonia lyase
- HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma
- HFD, high-fat diet
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- IF, immunofluorescence
- ISH, in situ hybridisation
- Liver regeneration
- MAFLD, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
- MUP, major urinary protein
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
- Metabolic zonation
- ND, normal diet
- PIK3CATg, hepatocyte-specific transgenic mice harbouring mutant PIK3CA variant
- PP, periportal
- PV, perivenous
- RFP, red fluorescent protein
- TAM, tamoxifen
- TUNEL, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelling
- WT, wild-type
- Wnt/β-catenin signal
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hayato Nakagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Hayata
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kawamura
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Matsushita
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoharu Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Uchino
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoku Hayakawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobumi Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Hata
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mayo Tsuboi
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroto Kinoshita
- Division of Gastroenterology, Institute for Adult Diseases, Asahi Life Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuo Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuma Nakatsuka
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Hirata
- Division of Advanced Genome Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tateishi
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Koike
- Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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