title: Synergy between truncated c-Met (cyto-Met) and c-Myc in liver oncogenesis: importance of TGF-beta signalling in the control of liver homeostasis and transformation.
abstract: The c-Met tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand, Hepatocyte Growth Factor/ Scatter Factor, have been implicated in human cancer. We have previously described that the transgenic expression of a truncated form of human c-Met (cyto-Met) in the liver confers resistance to several apoptotic stimuli. Here we show the impact of cyto-Met expression on liver proliferation and transformation. Despite a sixfold increase of hepatocyte proliferation, adult transgenic livers displayed normal size and architecture. We present evidence showing that activation of TGF-beta1 signalling controls the liver mass in cyto-Met mice. The oncogenic potential of cyto-Met was further assessed in the context of c-Myc-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, using WHV/c-Myc transgenic mice. Co-expression of cyto-Met and c-Myc further enhanced hepatocyte proliferation and caused a dramatic acceleration of the Myc-induced tumorigenesis, leading to the emergence of hepatocarcinomas in 3-4-month-old animals. Importantly, the TGF-beta receptor type II expression was strongly downregulated in most tumours, indicating that impairment of TGF-beta1-mediated growth inhibition plays a major role in accelerated neoplastic development. The strong potential of cyto-Met for oncogenic cooperation without direct transforming activity designates cyto-Met mice as an ideal tool for studying the early steps of multistage hepatocarcinogenesis and for identification of prognostic markers of transformation.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Istituto Pasteur-Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Sezione di Genetica Molecolare, Università La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amicone
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Terradillos
authors.forename: Ludovica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Costabile
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cicchini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Della Rocca
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lozupone
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: Marie Annick
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Buendia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tripodi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002455:Cell Division; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017919:Hepatitis B Virus, Woodchuck / Q000235:genetics; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009929:Organ Size; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077294:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type II