title: Differential intracellular signalling induced by TGF-beta in rat adult hepatocytes and hepatoma cells: implications in liver carcinogenesis.
abstract: The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) regulates hepatocyte growth, inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Indeed, escaping from the TGF-beta suppressor actions might be a prerequisite for liver tumour progression. In this work we show that TGF-beta plays a dual role in regulating apoptosis in FaO rat hepatoma cells, since, in addition to its pro-apoptotic effect, TGF-beta also activates survival signals, such as AKT, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) being required for its activation. TGF-beta induces the expression of the EGFR ligands transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and induces intracellular re-localization of the EGFR. Cells that overcome the apoptotic effects of TGF-beta undergo morphological changes reminiscent of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. In contrast, TGF-beta does not activate AKT in adult hepatocytes, which correlates with lack of EGFR transactivation and no response to EGFR inhibitors. Although TGF-beta induces TGF-alpha and HB-EGF in adult hepatocytes, these cells show very low expression of TACE/ADAM 17 (TNF-alpha converting enzyme), which is required for EGFR ligand proteolysis and activation. Furthermore, adult hepatocytes do not undergo EMT processes in response to TGF-beta, which might be due, at least in part, to the fact that F-actin re-organization induced by TGF-beta in FaO cells require the EGFR pathway. Finally, results indicate that EGFR transactivation does not block TGF-beta-induced cell cycle arrest in FaO cells, but must be interfering with the pro-apoptotic signalling. In conclusion, TGF-beta is a suppressor factor for adult quiescent hepatocytes, but not for hepatoma cells, where it plays a dual role, both suppressing and promoting carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Oncologia Molecular, Institut de Recerca Oncològica-Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet, 08907, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caja
authors.forename: Conrad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertran
authors.forename: Miguel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Murillo
authors.forename: M Jesús
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miró-Obradors
authors.forename: Evangelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fabregat
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019061:src-Family Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019061:src-Family Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000072198:ADAM17 Protein; C000606462:ADAM17 protein, human; C000606464:Adam17 protein, rat