TAZ is indispensable for c-MYC-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Mounting evidence implicates the Hippo downstream effectors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the functional contribution of YAP and/or TAZ to c-MYC-induced liver tumor development. METHODS: The requirement for YAP and/or TAZ in c-Myc-driven hepatocarcinogenesis was analyzed using conditional Yap, Taz, and Yap;Taz knockout (KO) mice. An hepatocyte-specific inducible TTR-CreERT2 KO system was applied to evaluate the role of YAP and TAZ during tumor progression. Expression patterns of YAP, TAZ, c-MYC, and BCL2L12 were analyzed in human HCC samples. RESULTS: We found that the Hippo cascade is inactivated in c-Myc-induced mouse HCC. Intriguingly, TAZ mRNA levels and activation status correlated with c-MYC activity in human and mouse HCC, but YAP mRNA levels did not. We demonstrated that TAZ is a direct transcriptional target of c-MYC. In c-Myc induced murine HCCs, ablation of Taz, but not Yap, completely prevented tumor development. Mechanistically, TAZ was required to avoid c-Myc-induced hepatocyte apoptosis during tumor initiation. The anti-apoptotic BCL2L12 gene was identified as a novel target regulated specifically by YAP/TAZ, whose silencing strongly suppressed c-Myc-driven murine hepatocarcinogenesis. In c-Myc murine HCC lesions, conditional knockout of Taz, but not Yap, led to tumor regression, supporting the requirement of TAZ for c-Myc-driven HCC progression. CONCLUSIONS: TAZ is a pivotal player at the crossroad between the c-MYC and Hippo pathways in HCC. Targeting TAZ might be beneficial for the treatment of patients with HCC and c-MYC activation. LAY SUMMARY: The identification of novel treatment targets and approaches for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma is crucial to improve survival outcomes. We identified TAZ as a transcriptional target of c-MYC which plays a critical role in c-MYC-dependent hepatocarcinogenesis. TAZ could potentially be targeted for the treatment of patients with c-MYC-driven hepatocellular carcinoma.

Distinct and Overlapping Roles of Hippo Effectors YAP and TAZ During Human and Mouse Hepatocarcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Yes-associated protein (YAP) and its paralog transcriptional co-activator with post synaptic density protein, drosophila disc large tumor suppressor and zonula occludens-1-binding motif (TAZ) are 2 co-activators downstream of Hippo tumor-suppressor cascade. Both have been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether YAP and TAZ have distinct or overlapping functions during hepatocarcinogenesis remains unknown. METHODS: Expression patterns of YAP and TAZ were analyzed in human HCC samples. The requirement of Yap and/or Taz in protein kinase B (Akt)/ neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRas) -driven liver tumorigenesis was analyzed using conditional Yap, Taz, and Yap;Taz knockout mice. Transcriptional programs regulated by YAP and/or TAZ were identified via RNA sequencing. RESULTS: We found that in human HCC samples, an almost ubiquitous activation of YAP or TAZ occurs, underlying their role in this tumor type. Intriguingly, 70% of HCC samples showed only nuclear YAP or TAZ immunoreactivity. In the Akt/NRas liver tumor model, where nuclear Yap and Taz can be detected readily, deletion of Yap or Taz alone only mildly delayed liver tumor development, whereas their concomitant ablation strongly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and significantly suppressed Akt/NRas-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. In HCC cell lines, silencing of either YAP or TAZ led to decreased expression of both overlapping and distinct sets of genes, with the most prominent gene signatures related to cell-cycle progression and DNA replication. CONCLUSIONS: YAP and TAZ have overlapping and distinct roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. HCCs may display unique activation of YAP or TAZ, thus relying on either YAP or TAZ for their growth.

Pivotal Role of Fatty Acid Synthase in c-MYC Driven Hepatocarcinogenesis.

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.

Cholesterol biosynthesis supports the growth of hepatocarcinoma lesions depleted of fatty acid synthase in mice and humans.

OBJECTIVE: Increased de novo fatty acid (FA) synthesis and cholesterol biosynthesis have been independently described in many tumour types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). DESIGN: We investigated the functional contribution of fatty acid synthase (Fasn)-mediated de novo FA synthesis in a murine HCC model induced by loss of Pten and overexpression of c-Met (sgPten/c-Met) using liver-specific Fasn knockout mice. Expression arrays and lipidomic analysis were performed to characterise the global gene expression and lipid profiles, respectively, of sgPten/c-Met HCC from wild-type and Fasn knockout mice. Human HCC cell lines were used for in vitro studies. RESULTS: Ablation of Fasn significantly delayed sgPten/c-Met-driven hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. However, eventually, HCC emerged in Fasn knockout mice. Comparative genomic and lipidomic analyses revealed the upregulation of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, as well as decreased triglyceride levels and increased cholesterol esters, in HCC from these mice. Mechanistically, loss of Fasn promoted nuclear localisation and activation of sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (Srebp2), which triggered cholesterogenesis. Blocking cholesterol synthesis via the dominant negative form of Srebp2 (dnSrebp2) completely prevented sgPten/c-Met-driven hepatocarcinogenesis in Fasn knockout mice. Similarly, silencing of FASN resulted in increased SREBP2 activation and hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase (HMGCR) expression in human HCC cell lines. Concomitant inhibition of FASN-mediated FA synthesis and HMGCR-driven cholesterol production was highly detrimental for HCC cell growth in culture. CONCLUSION: Our study uncovers a novel functional crosstalk between aberrant lipogenesis and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways in hepatocarcinogenesis, whose concomitant inhibition might represent a therapeutic option for HCC.

Tankyrase inhibitors suppress hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth via modulating the Hippo cascade.

Previous data indicate that Tankyrase inhibitors exert anti-growth functions in many cancer cell lines due to their ability to inactivate the YAP protooncogene. In the present manuscript, we investigated the effect of Tankyrase inhibitors on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and the molecular mechanisms involved. For this purpose, we performed cell proliferation assay by colony-forming ability in seven human HCC cells subjected to XAV-939 and G007-LK Tankyrase inhibitors. Noticeably, the two Tankyrase inhibitors suppressed the HCC cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that Tankyrase inhibitors synergized with MEK and AKT inhibitors to suppress HCC cell proliferation. At the molecular level, Tankyrase inhibitors significantly decreased YAP protein levels, reduced the expression of YAP target genes, and inhibited YAP/TEAD luciferase reporter activity. In addition, Tankyrase inhibitors administration was accompanied by upregulation of Angiomotin-like 1 (AMOTL1) and Angiomotin-like 2 (AMOTL2) proteins, two major negative regulators of YAP. Altogether, the present data indicate that XAV-939 and G007-LK Tankyrase inhibitors could suppress proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and downregulate YAP/TAZ by stabilizing AMOTL1 and AMOTL2 proteins, thus representing new potential anticancer drugs against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Glucose Catabolism in Liver Tumors Induced by c-MYC Can Be Sustained by Various PKM1/PKM2 Ratios and Pyruvate Kinase Activities.

Different pyruvate kinase isoforms are expressed in a tissue-specific manner, with pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) suggested to be the predominant isoform in proliferating cells and cancer cells. Because of differential regulation of enzymatic activities, PKM2, but not PKM1, has been thought to favor cell proliferation. However, the role of PKM2 in tumorigenesis has been recently challenged. Here we report that increased glucose catabolism through glycolysis and increased pyruvate kinase activity in c-MYC-driven liver tumors are associated with increased expression of both PKM1 and PKM2 isoforms and decreased expression of the liver-specific isoform of pyruvate kinase, PKL. Depletion of PKM2 at the time of c-MYC overexpression in murine livers did not affect c-MYC-induced tumorigenesis and resulted in liver tumor formation with decreased pyruvate kinase activity and decreased catabolism of glucose into alanine and the Krebs cycle. An increased PKM1/PKM2 ratio by ectopic PKM1 expression further decreased glucose flux into serine biosynthesis and increased flux into lactate and the Krebs cycle, resulting in reduced total levels of serine. However, these changes also did not affect c-MYC-induced liver tumor development. These results suggest that increased expression of PKM2 is not required to support c-MYC-induced tumorigenesis in the liver and that various PKM1/PKM2 ratios and pyruvate kinase activities can sustain glucose catabolism required for this process. Cancer Res; 77(16); 4355-64. ©2017 AACR.

Promoter methylations of RASSF1A and p16 is associated with clinicopathological features in lung cancers.

UNLABELLED: Objection: The aim of this study is to investigate the association between promoter methylation of RASSF1A and p16 and the clinicopathological features in lung cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, EBSCO, Ovid, Wiley, Web of Science, Wanfang, and VIP databases were searched using combinations of keywords related to RASSF1A, p16, methylation, and lung cancers. After screening for relevant studies, following a strict inclusion and exclusion criteria; the selected studies were incorporated into the present meta.analysis conducted using Comprehensive Meta Analysis 2.0. (CMA 2.0). RESULTS: We initially retrieved 402 studies, out which 13 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this meta.analysis, and contained a total of 1,259. patients with lung cancers. The results of this meta.analysis showed that the differences in promoter methylation ratio between the lung cancer patients in tumor, node, metastasis. (TNM) I.II and III.IV were not statistically significant. Based on histological types, patients with adenocarcinoma. (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma. (SCC) showed no significant differences in the promoter methylation ratios of RASSF1A, while the promoter methylation ratio of p16 was significantly higher in SCC patients compared to AC patients. Based on smoking status, the promoter methylation ratios of both RASSF1A and p16 was significantly higher in lung cancer patients with smoking history compared to nonsmokers. CONCLUSION: The present meta.analysis provides convincing evidence that the promoter methylation ratio of RASSF1A and p16 is associated with clinicopathological features in lung cancers, and could be used as effective biomarkers in early diagnosis in lung cancers.

Tumor protein D52-like 2 contributes to proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death among women. Tumor protein D52-like 2 (TPD52L2) is one member of the TPD52 family, which has been shown to function in mediating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and vehicle trafficking. TPD52 was originally identified in human breast carcinoma. In this study, the authors found that TPD52L2 is extensively expressed in multiple human breast cancer cell lines. To elucidate the functional role of TPD52L2 in breast cancer, the authors employed lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knock down TPD52L2 in one breast cancer cell line, ZR-75-30, which showed high TPD52L2 expression. The shRNA-mediated TPD52L2 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and colony formation in ZR-75-30 cells, as determined by MTT and colony formation assays. Knockdown of TPD52L2 led to an accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, knockdown of TPD52L2 promoted GSK3ß phosphorylation in ZR-75-30 cells. This investigation indicates that TPD52L2 plays an essential role in the growth of breast cancer cells, which may contribute to provide gene therapy for breast cancer treatment.

Knockdown of cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A may sensitize metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer cells to cabazitaxel chemotherapy.

Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is a recently identified human oncoprotein that can stabilize some proteins by inhibiting degradation mediated by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), and its level in cancer is associated with resistance to chemotherapy. However, whether CIP2A could increase chemoresistance of prostate cancer (PCa) cells to chemotherapeutic agent cabazitaxel remains unclear. To determine whether CIP2A serves as a potential therapeutic target of human PCa, we utilized small interference RNA (siRNA) to knock down CIP2A expression in human PCa cells and analyzed their phenotypic changes. The data demonstrated that CIP2A was significantly elevated in mCRPC cell lines C4-2 and ARCaP(M) at both the mRNA and protein levels. CIP2A silencing led to decreased proliferation and enhanced chemosensitivity and apoptosis to cabazitaxel in human PCa cells, as well as reduced Akt phosphorylation. Our data suggesting critical roles of CIP2A in PCa cells chemoresistance to cabazitaxel and raising the possibility of CIP2A inhibition as a promising approach for chemosensitization of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Inducing apoptosis effect of caffeic acid 3,4-dihydroxy-phenethyl ester on the breast cancer cells.

To explore the antitumor effect of caffeic acid 3,4-dihydroxy-phenethyl ester (CADPE) on the breast cancer cell lines and illuminate the related mechanism. After treatment with different concentrations of CADPE for 24, 48, and 72 h, cell proliferation ability of the breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 was analyzed by the MTT. Changes of the cell cycles were evaluated by PI staining. Cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry after Annexin V/7AAD double staining. Nuclear morphologic changes were observed under the inverted fluorescence microscope after staining with Hoechst 33342. Mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were estimated by JC-1 and DCFH-DA staining. In addition, the expression level of mitochondrial signaling pathway proteins Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 were evaluated by Western blot. CADPE has the distinct cytotoxic effect to the breast cancer cells, and the effect is dose dependent. It did not change the cell cycles but induced the cell apoptosis of the breast cancer cells. At the same time, after CADPE treatment, the expression levels of caspase-3 and Bax in the breast cancer cells were upregulated and Bcl-2 expression was declined. The ROS level in the breast cancer cells was enhanced, and mitochondrial membrane potential of the cells was downregulated. CADPE has the antitumor functions. It can induce the cell apoptosis through downregulating Bcl-2 expression, enhancing Bax and caspase-3 expression levels, upregulating ROS level and reducing the mitochondrial membrane potential of the breast cancer cells to trigger the mitochondrial signal pathway.

PPM1D as a novel biomarker for prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy.

Protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1 delta (PPM1D) is involved in several types of cancer. The current study examined the role of PPM1D expression in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues and in PCa cell lines. Expression of PPM1D was evaluated using immunohistochemistry in 234 PCa tissues after radical prostatectomy and 80 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues. The associations of PPM1D expression with clinicopathological parameters and survival were analyzed. In vitro, tumor cells were transfected with small interfering RNA targeting PPM1D (siPPM1D) or si-Scramble, and the cell proliferation, migration and invasion were determined. We found that PPM1D expression was significantly higher in PCa tissues than that in BPH tissues. PPM1D expression was positively correlated with Gleason score (p=0.022), T stage (p=0.015) and lymph node status (p=0.016). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that patients with positive PPM1D expression had shorter biochemical recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Furthermore, multivariate analyses showed that PPM1D expression was an independent predictor of both biochemical recurrence-free (hazard ratio=3.437, 95% confidence interval=1.154-6.209, p=0.016) and overall survival (hazard ratio=5.026, 95% confidence interval=2.545-8.109, p=0.007). Knockdown of PPM1D inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion capabilities of PC-3 and LNCaP cells. PPM1D expression may predict for both overall and biochemical recurrence-free survival in patients after radical prostatectomy for PCa. Elevated PPM1D expression plays a key role in progression of PCa.

Knockdown of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 expression suppresses breast cancer cell growth and colony formation and affects the cell cycle.

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) is an important anti-virus protein and has been recently shown to play a role in human cancer development. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the expression of the IFITM3 protein in breast cancer tissues and to investigate the in vitro effects of IFITM3 knockdown in the regulation of breast cancer cell growth and cell cycle distributions. A total of 64 patients of breast cancer and the matched normal tissue specimens were obtained for immunohistochemical analysis of IFITM3 expression. Lentivirus-carrying IFITM3 shRNA was used to knock down IFITM3 expression in breast cancer cell lines. Phenotypic changes of cell viability, growth, colony formation and cell cycle distribution was also assayed using flow cytometry, MTT, BrdU incorporation and colony formation assays. The IFITM3 protein was highly expressed in invasive breast cancer compared to normal tissues and was significantly associated with estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status. The lentivirus-carried IFITM3 shRNA significantly reduced the expression of IFITM3 mRNA and protein in breast cancer cells, inhibiting tumor cell viability, growth and colony formation, arrested tumor cells at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and reduced the number of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Expression of IFITM3 protein could be a potential therapeutic target in future treatment of breast cancer.