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BCAT1, a key prognostic predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma, promotes cell proliferation and induces chemoresistance to cisplatin

Zheng, Yi Hu ; Hu, Wei Jian ; Chen, Bi Cheng ; Tan Grahn, Hooi Min LU orcid ; Zhao, Yan Rong ; Bao, Hai Li ; Zhu, Ye Fan and Zhang, Qi Yu (2016) In Liver International 36(12). p.1836-1847
Abstract

Background & Aims: BCAT1 initiates the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids. Here, we investigated the function of BCAT1 and its transcriptional regulatory mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: RNASeq was used to evaluate BCAT1 mRNA levels in HCC and normal matched specimens. After the exogenous expression of BCAT1 in BEL-7404 cells and the suppression of endogenous BCAT1 expression with shRNA in HepG2 cells, the cell proliferation, clone-forming ability and cell-cycle changes were measured with MTT assay, colony-forming assay and flow cytometry respectively. A xenograft model was used to investigate the effect of BCAT1 on cancer growth in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter technologies... (More)

Background & Aims: BCAT1 initiates the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids. Here, we investigated the function of BCAT1 and its transcriptional regulatory mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: RNASeq was used to evaluate BCAT1 mRNA levels in HCC and normal matched specimens. After the exogenous expression of BCAT1 in BEL-7404 cells and the suppression of endogenous BCAT1 expression with shRNA in HepG2 cells, the cell proliferation, clone-forming ability and cell-cycle changes were measured with MTT assay, colony-forming assay and flow cytometry respectively. A xenograft model was used to investigate the effect of BCAT1 on cancer growth in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter technologies were used to confirm the transcriptional regulation of the BCAT1 gene by MYC. The expression of the BCAT1 and MYC proteins in 122 HCC tissues was determined with an immunohistochemical analysis. Results: BCAT1 mRNA was clearly increased in HCC tissues and hepatomas. The ectopic expression of BCAT1 in BEL-7404 cells enhanced their proliferation, clone formation, tumourigenic properties, S-G2/M phase transition and chemoresistance to cisplatin. The suppression of BCAT1 expression in HepG2 cells significantly inhibited their proliferation, clone formation, and S-G2/M phase transition and caused their chemosensitization to cisplatin. MYC affected the transcriptional regulation of BCAT1. Clinical data showed that BCAT1 expression correlated with a significantly poorer prognosis. Conclusion: BCAT1 plays a pathogenic role in HCC by causing cell proliferation and chemoresistance. The MYC transcription factor is involved in regulating the transcriptional activity of BCAT1. BCAT1 expression has prognostic significance for the survival of patients with HCC.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
MYC, BCAT1, Hepatocellular carcinoma
in
Liver International
volume
36
issue
12
pages
1836 - 1847
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84978933819
  • pmid:27246112
  • wos:000393103800016
ISSN
1478-3223
DOI
10.1111/liv.13178
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
684a385b-e219-44b1-b151-791a983d0eb5
date added to LUP
2016-08-16 11:07:55
date last changed
2024-05-04 07:28:06
@article{684a385b-e219-44b1-b151-791a983d0eb5,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background &amp; Aims: BCAT1 initiates the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids. Here, we investigated the function of BCAT1 and its transcriptional regulatory mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: RNASeq was used to evaluate BCAT1 mRNA levels in HCC and normal matched specimens. After the exogenous expression of BCAT1 in BEL-7404 cells and the suppression of endogenous BCAT1 expression with shRNA in HepG2 cells, the cell proliferation, clone-forming ability and cell-cycle changes were measured with MTT assay, colony-forming assay and flow cytometry respectively. A xenograft model was used to investigate the effect of BCAT1 on cancer growth in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter technologies were used to confirm the transcriptional regulation of the BCAT1 gene by MYC. The expression of the BCAT1 and MYC proteins in 122 HCC tissues was determined with an immunohistochemical analysis. Results: BCAT1 mRNA was clearly increased in HCC tissues and hepatomas. The ectopic expression of BCAT1 in BEL-7404 cells enhanced their proliferation, clone formation, tumourigenic properties, S-G<sub>2</sub>/M phase transition and chemoresistance to cisplatin. The suppression of BCAT1 expression in HepG2 cells significantly inhibited their proliferation, clone formation, and S-G<sub>2</sub>/M phase transition and caused their chemosensitization to cisplatin. MYC affected the transcriptional regulation of BCAT1. Clinical data showed that BCAT1 expression correlated with a significantly poorer prognosis. Conclusion: BCAT1 plays a pathogenic role in HCC by causing cell proliferation and chemoresistance. The MYC transcription factor is involved in regulating the transcriptional activity of BCAT1. BCAT1 expression has prognostic significance for the survival of patients with HCC.</p>}},
  author       = {{Zheng, Yi Hu and Hu, Wei Jian and Chen, Bi Cheng and Tan Grahn, Hooi Min and Zhao, Yan Rong and Bao, Hai Li and Zhu, Ye Fan and Zhang, Qi Yu}},
  issn         = {{1478-3223}},
  keywords     = {{MYC; BCAT1; Hepatocellular carcinoma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1836--1847}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Liver International}},
  title        = {{BCAT1, a key prognostic predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma, promotes cell proliferation and induces chemoresistance to cisplatin}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/liv.13178}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/liv.13178}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}