title: ROCK2 promotes HCC proliferation by CEBPD inhibition through phospho-GSK3β/β-catenin signaling.
abstract: Rho-associated kinase 2 (Rock2) is known to promote tumorigenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD) functions as a tumor suppressor. In this study, we found that the expression of Rock2 and CEBPD are inversely correlated. Knockdown of Rock2 increased CEBPD expression and inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that Rock2 regulates CEBPD expression through the p-GSK3β/β-catenin pathway. Taken together, we identified a novel Rock2-p-GSK3β/β-catenin-CEBPD regulatory circuitry, the dysfunction of which may contribute to the tumorigenic characteristic of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang 330029, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Rongfa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Leifeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Tiande
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanchang 330006, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Jiangxi Province 34100 China.
authors.forename: Yuancai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, Nanchang 330006, China; Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanchang 330006, China. Electronic address: shao5022@163.com.
authors.forename: Jianghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D051743:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010766:Phosphorylation; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays / Q000379:methods; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C497252:CEBPD protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin; D051743:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; C515852:ROCK2 protein, human; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
keywords: CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Proliferation; Rho-associated kinase 2