title: Alpha-fetoprotein activates AKT/mTOR signaling to promote CXCR4 expression and migration of hepatoma cells.
abstract: CXCR4, stromal cell-derived factor-1α(SDF 1α) receptor, stimulates growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) governs the expression of some metastasis-related genes. Here we report that AFP and CXCR4 levels correlated in HCC tissues. AFP-expressing vectors induced CXCR4. In agreement, AFP depletion by siRNA decreased CXCR4. AFP co-localized and interacted with PTEN, thus inducing CXCR4 by activating AKT(Ser473) phosphorylation. In turn, phospho-mTOR(Ser2448) entered the nucleus and bound the CXCR4 gene promoter. Thus, AFP promoted migration of HCC cells. In concusion, AFP induced CXCR4 by activating the AKT/mTOR signal pathway.
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Mingyue
authors: M
authors: Zhu
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Junli
authors: J
authors: Guo
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Graduate School, Guanxi Medical University, Nanning, PR. China.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Xia
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Lu
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Dong
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Xieju
authors: X
authors: Xie
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Department of Physiology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Shigan
authors: S
authors: Fu
authors: Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.|Graduate School, Guanxi Medical University, Nanning, PR. China.|Institution of Tumor, Hainan Medical College, Haikou, PR.China.
authors: Mengsen
authors: M
authors: Li
keywords: AKT/mTOR signal; Alpha fetoprotein; CXCR4; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Metastasis