Genetic and epigenetic inactivation of T-cadherin in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
T-cadherin is an atypical cadherin and growing evidence has indicated that T-cadherin exerts tumor-suppressive effects on cancers of epithelial cell type and also causes positive effects on tumor angiogenesis. Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular tumor and T-cadherin has been shown to be overexpressed in intratumoral endothelial cells of HCCs. However, the expression status and functions of T-cadherin in hepatocytes or HCC cells remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated that T-cadherin was underexpressed in HCC cells (26.5%, 13/49 cases), but was frequently (77.6%, 38/49) overexpressed in intratumoral endothelial cells immunohistochemically. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis also showed that the T-cadherin gene was underexpressed in 7 of 11 HCC cell lines. Loss of heterozygosity analysis revealed that 32-38% of the 42 human HCC samples had allelic losses at this locus. Upon pharmacological treatment with demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine or histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A, T-cadherin promoter hypermethylation and/or histone deacetylation was frequently observed in HCC samples and cell lines. Functionally, enforced expression of T-cadherin induced G(2)/M cell cycle arrest, reduced cell proliferation in low serum medium, suppressed anchorage-independent growth in soft agar and increased sensitivity to TNFalpha-mediated apoptosis in HCC cells. Intriguingly, we found that T-cadherin significantly suppressed the activity of c-Jun, a crucial oncoprotein constitutively activated in HCC cells. To conclude, T-cadherin was differentially expressed in human HCCs. The underexpression of T-cadherin in HCC cells suggests it may be another critical event in addition to T-cadherin-mediated angiogenesis during HCC development.
Chan
David W
DW
Liver Cancer and Hepatitis Research Laboratory and SH Ho Foundation Research Laboratories, Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Lee
Joyce M F
JM
Chan
Patrick C Y
PC
Ng
Irene O L
IO
D000107:Acetylation / Q000187:drug effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000077209:Decitabine; D015536:Down-Regulation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000187:drug effects*; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D015820:Cadherins; C099972:H-cadherin; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006657:Histones; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; C012589:trichostatin A; D000077209:Decitabine; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; D001374:Azacitidine