The Overexpression of IQGAP1 and β-Catenin Is Associated with Tumor Progression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Vitro and In Vivo

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 7;10(8):e0133770. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133770. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The IQ-domain GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) is a multifunctional scaffold protein, which interacts with diverse proteins to regulate cell adhesion and cell migration. The abnormal expression of IQGAP1 widely exists in many cancers, but biological roles of IQGAP1 cooperation with its interacting proteins to involve in tumorigenesis remain to clarify. In this study, we have found that IQGAP1 interacts with β-catenin and regulates β-catenin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. The expression levels of IQGAP1 and β-catenin and their associations have a positive correlation with cell metastasis ability in several HCC cell lines. The up-regulation of IQGAP1 and β-catenin improves cell proliferation and migration ability of HCC cells, whereas the knockdown of IQGAP1 by small interfering RNA can decrease β-catenin expression, which results in the reduction of cell proliferation and migration ability in vitro. In addition, a significantly higher expression of IQGAP1 and β-catenin also usually exists in human HCC tissues, especially their overexpression is clinicopathologically associated with tumor malignancy. Generally the overexpression and interactions of IQGAP1 and β-catenin contribute to HCC progression by promoting cell proliferation and migration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Computational Biology
  • Disease Progression*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Transport
  • Software
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Up-Regulation
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*
  • ras GTPase-Activating Proteins / genetics
  • ras GTPase-Activating Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1
  • beta Catenin
  • ras GTPase-Activating Proteins