title: Characterization of the oncogenic function of centromere protein F in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Centromere protein F (CENPF) is an essential nuclear protein associated with the centromere-kinetochore complex and plays a critical role in chromosome segregation during mitosis. Up-regulation of CENPF expression has previously been detected in several solid tumors. In this study, we aim to study the expression and functional role of CENPF in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found CENPF was frequently overexpressed in HCC as compared with non-tumor tissue. Up-regulated CENPF expression in HCC was positively correlated with serum AFP, venous invasion, advanced differentiation stage and a shorter overall survival. Cox regression analysis found that overexpression of CENPF was an independent prognosis factor in HCC. Functional studies found that silencing CENPF could decrease the ability of the cells to proliferate, form colonies and induce tumor formation in nude mice. Silencing CENPF also resulted in the cell cycle arrest at G2/M checkpoint by down-regulating cell cycle proteins cdc2 and cyclin B1. Our data suggest that CENPF is frequently overexpressed in HCC and plays a critical role in driving HCC tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yongdong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Ying-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jiangchao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Leilei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yun-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xin-Yuan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D017931:DNA Primers; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C094772:centromere protein F
keywords: BUB1; CENPF; CHD1L; DAB; Diaminobenzidine; G2/M transition; HCC; HE; IHC; JTB; MAD1; MAD2; Prognosis factor; SHC1; Src homology 2 domain containing transforming protein 1; TMA; centromere protein F; chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 1-like; hematoxylin and eosin; hepatocellular carcinoma; immunohistochemistry; jumping translocation breakpoint; mitotic arrest deficient-like 1; mitotic arrest deficient-like 2; mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase; qRT-PCR; quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction; siRNAs; small interfering RNAs; tissue microarray