title: Pokemon promotes the invasiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma by enhancing MEF2D transcription.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pokemon, a master oncogene crucial for the tumorigenicity and progression of a variety of cancers, has been demonstrated to enhance the proliferation and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the contribution of Pokemon to the invasiveness of HCC has not yet been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we employed HCC cells to investigate the role of Pokemon in the invasion of HCC with multidisciplinary approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pokemon overexpression was found to be closely associated with invasion and intrahepatic metastasis of HCC in clinical specimens. Suppression of Pokemon attenuated the invasion of HCC cells by in vitro transwell and wound-healing assays. Myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D), an oncogene that can promote the invasiveness of HCC, was found to be underexpressed during Pokemon silencing in HCC cells. Restoration of MEF2D abolished the effect of Pokemon downregulation on the migration of HCC cells. Further experiments verified that Pokemon binds two putative recognition sites located within the upstream region of the MEF2D promoter and enhances its transcription. The association between Pokemon and MEF2D was further confirmed in HCC specimens. Animal experiments further confirmed that Pokemon downregulation attenuated the metastasis of HCC cells in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Collectively, Pokemon was found to enhance the migration and invasion of HCC by increasing MEF2D expression. Thus, targeting Pokemon and MEF2D may be an effective strategy to suppress the metastasis of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. cpukj@163.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiangqian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 6 Beijing Road West, Huai'an, 223300, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578043:MEF2D protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; C485514:ZBTB7A protein, human
keywords: HCC; MEF2D; Pokemon