title: PDGF essentially links TGF-beta signaling to nuclear beta-catenin accumulation in hepatocellular carcinoma progression.
abstract: The cooperation of Ras - extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling provokes an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of differentiated p19(ARF) null hepatocytes, which is accompanied by a shift in malignancy and gain of metastatic properties. Upon EMT, TGF-beta induces the secretion and autocrine regulation of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) by upregulation of PDGF-A and both PDGF receptors. Here, we demonstrate by loss-of-function analyses that PDGF provides adhesive and migratory properties in vitro as well as proliferative stimuli during tumor formation. PDGF signaling resulted in the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, and furthermore associated with nuclear beta-catenin accumulation upon EMT. Hepatocytes expressing constitutively active beta-catenin or its negative regulator Axin were employed to study the impact of nuclear beta-catenin. Unexpectedly, active beta-catenin failed to accelerate proliferation during tumor formation, but in contrast, correlated with growth arrest. Nuclear localization of beta-catenin was accompanied by strong expression of the Cdk inhibitor p16(INK4A) and the concomitant induction of the beta-catenin target genes cyclin D1 and c-myc. In addition, active beta-catenin revealed protection of malignant hepatocytes against anoikis, which provides a prerequisite for the dissemination of carcinoma. From these data, we conclude that TGF-beta acts tumor progressive by induction of PDGF signaling and subsequent activation of beta-catenin, which endows a subpopulation of neoplastic hepatocytes with features of cancer stem cells..
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Division: Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A N M
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikula
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beug
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mikulits
mesh_terms: D023102:Anoikis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051176:beta Catenin