Hepatitis B virus X protein regulates c-met promoter via the ERKs singal pathway in HepG2 cells / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the signal pathway mediating the regulatory effect of Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBX) on c-met gene promoter in HepG2 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of c-met in HBX-transfected HepG2 cells treated with different signal pathway inhibitors was detected by western blot, the invasion capability of cells was determined by Matrigel invasion assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ERK inhibitor U0126 inhibited the expression of the c-Met in HBx-transfected HepG2 cells. However, both p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 and PI-3K inhibitor wortmanin had no effect on expression of the c-Met in HBx-transfected HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the ERK inhibitor U0126 also inhibited the invasiveness of HBX-transfected HepG2 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HBx induces invasion of HCC via activation of ERK pathway.</p>

The effect of hepatitis B virus X protein on the c-met promoter activity in HepG2 cells / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To confirm the effect of hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein on the c-met promoter activity in HepG2 cells.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The expression of c-met protein was detected by western blot in HBx-transfected HepG2 cells, the human c-met promote activity was checked by luciferase assay using five different constructs with deletion or point mutation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HBx protein stimulated the expression of the c-met in HepG2 cells. The enhanced expression of c-met in HBx-transfected cells was mediated by the activation of AP-2 and SP-1 transcriptional activity at the c-met promoter region (-183bp--100bp), HBx increased the invasiveness of HepG2 cells as determined by Matrigel invasion assay.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggests that HBx induces the expression of c-met through the activation of AP-2 and SP-1 activity at the promoter region; in addition, our data indicate that HBx stimulates the invasive potential of HepG2 cells.</p>