Kinase-independent functions of RIPK1 regulate hepatocyte survival and liver carcinogenesis

J Clin Invest. 2017 Jun 30;127(7):2662-2677. doi: 10.1172/JCI92508. Epub 2017 Jun 19.

Abstract

The mechanisms that regulate cell death and inflammation play an important role in liver disease and cancer. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) induces apoptosis and necroptosis via kinase-dependent mechanisms and exhibits kinase-independent prosurvival and proinflammatory functions. Here, we have used genetic mouse models to study the role of RIPK1 in liver homeostasis, injury, and cancer. While ablating either RIPK1 or RelA in liver parenchymal cells (LPCs) did not cause spontaneous liver pathology, mice with combined deficiency of RIPK1 and RelA in LPCs showed increased hepatocyte apoptosis and developed spontaneous chronic liver disease and cancer that were independent of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) signaling. In contrast, mice with LPC-specific knockout of Ripk1 showed reduced diethylnitrosamine-induced (DEN-induced) liver tumorigenesis that correlated with increased DEN-induced hepatocyte apoptosis. Lack of RIPK1 kinase activity did not inhibit DEN-induced liver tumor formation, showing that kinase-independent functions of RIPK1 promote DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Moreover, mice lacking both RIPK1 and TNFR1 in LPCs displayed normal tumor formation in response to DEN, demonstrating that RIPK1 deficiency decreases DEN-induced liver tumor formation in a TNFR1-dependent manner. Therefore, these findings indicate that RIPK1 cooperates with NF-κB signaling to prevent TNFR1-independent hepatocyte apoptosis and the development of chronic liver disease and cancer, but acts downstream of TNFR1 signaling to promote DEN-induced liver tumorigenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / chemically induced
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism*
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology
  • Diethylnitrosamine / toxicity
  • Hepatocytes / enzymology*
  • Hepatocytes / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / chemically induced
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / enzymology*
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / genetics
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transcription Factor RelA / genetics
  • Transcription Factor RelA / metabolism

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I
  • Rela protein, mouse
  • Tnfrsf1a protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factor RelA
  • Diethylnitrosamine
  • Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Ripk1 protein, mouse