Polycomb chromobox 4 enhances migration and pulmonary metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC97L

Sci China Life Sci. 2014 Jun;57(6):610-7. doi: 10.1007/s11427-014-4663-9. Epub 2014 May 16.

Abstract

We recently report that the expression of polycomb chromobox 4 (Cbx4) is significantly correlated with the overall survival of a great cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and it enhances hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and angiogenesis in HCC cells through enhancing sumoylation of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α). Here we continue to investigate the potential effects of Cbx4 on the migration and metastasis of the metastatic HCC cell line MHCC97L. Our results show that Cbx4 overexpression in the cell line increases the in vitro vessel formation of vascular endothelial cells in its SUMO interaction motifs-dependent manner, and promotes the in vitro migration of the cancer cell, which can be effectively abrogated by anti-VEGF antibody. Although Cbx4 expression does not impact the in vitro growth of MHCC97L cells, it still promotes the progression and metastasis of orthotopically transplanted tumors in nude mice. These results further support the role of Cbx4 as a SUMO E3 ligase in the progression and metastasis of HCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / physiopathology*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / secondary*
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Ligases
  • Liver Neoplasms / blood supply
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins / physiology*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / physiology*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / physiology

Substances

  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Ligases
  • CBX4 protein, human