title: Lentivirus mediated silencing of ubiquitin specific peptidase 39 inhibits cell proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro.
abstract: Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 39 (USP39) is a 65 kDa SR-related protein involved in RNA splicing. Previous studies showed that USP39 is related with tumorigenesis of human breast cancer cells.
  
  
  
  In the present study, we investigated the functions of USP39 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line SMMC-7721. We knocked down the expression of USP39 through lentivirus mediated RNA interference. The results of qRT-PCR and western blotting assay showed that both the mRNA and protein levels were suppressed efficiently after USP39 specific shRNA was delivered into SMMC-7721 cells. Cell growth was significantly inhibited as determined by MTT assay. Crystal violet staining indicated that colony numbers and sizes were both reduced after knock-down of USP39. Furthermore, suppression of USP39 arrested cell cycle progression at G2/M phase in SMMC-7721cells. In addition, Annexin V showed that downregulation of USP39 significantly increased the population of apoptotic cells.
  
  
  
  All our results suggest that USP39 is important for HCC cell proliferation and is a potential target for molecular therapy of HCC.
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. zeya_pan@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Zeya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1380 West Zhongshan Road, 200336, Shanghai, China. pro_panhao@163.com.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. drjinzhang@126.com.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. doctoryangyun@126.com.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. liu_hui1016@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. yangyuanmd@163.com.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. ganghuangvip@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. junsheng_ni@163.com.
authors.forename: Junsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. hjluffylili@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200438, Shanghai, China. ehphwp@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D064570:Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C579218:USP39 protein, human; D064570:Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases