title: P21-activated protein kinase is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and enhances cancer metastasis involving c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation and paxillin phosphorylation.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major malignancies in the world. The prognosis of HCC is poor, due to frequent intrahepatic metastasis and tumor recurrence. P21-activated protein kinase (Pak1), a main downstream effector of small Rho GTPases, Rac1 and Cdc42, plays an important role in the regulation of cell morphogenesis, motility, mitosis, and angiogenesis. Here, we show that Pak1 gene was overexpressed in human HCCs. Overexpression of Pak1 in human HCCs was associated with more aggressive tumor behavior in terms of more metastatic phenotype and more advanced tumor stages. In addition, HCC cell line stably expressing Pak1 displayed increased cell motility rates and, conversely, knockdown of endogenous Pak1 expression by small interfering RNA reduced the migration rates of HCC cells. In an established metastatic HCC cell line, we found that Pak1 was overexpressed compared with its primary HCC cell line and this overexpression was associated with higher cell motility. Importantly, we found that c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) was activated in HCC cell lines overexpressing Pak1. Inhibition of the JNK activity by chemical inhibitor significantly reduced the migration rates of HCC cells via attenuation of paxillin phosphorylation at Ser(178). In conclusion, our results document that Pak1 is overexpressed in HCCs and plays an important role in the metastasis of HCC. The mechanism by which Pak1 induces cancer metastasis may involve activation of JNK and phosphorylation of paxillin.
authors: Departments of Pathology and Biochemistry, S.H. Ho Foundation Research Laboratories and Hong Kong Jockey Club Clinical Research Centre, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. ypching@hkucc.hku.hk
authors: Yick-Pang
authors: YP
authors: Ching
authors: Veronica Y L
authors: VY
authors: Leong
authors: Man-Fong
authors: MF
authors: Lee
authors: Hai-Tao
authors: HT
authors: Xu
authors: Dong-Yan
authors: DY
authors: Jin
authors: Irene Oi-Lin
authors: IO
authors: Ng
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D051419:Paxillin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases
chemical_list: C496061:PXN protein, human; D051419:Paxillin; C515903:PAK1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases