ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatoblastoma (HB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) both exhibit notable cancer stem cell (CSC) features. Moreover, the development of both diseases is closely associated with the presence of CSCs. We investigated the role of brain-expressed X-linked protein 1 (BEX1) in regulating the CSC properties of HB and a subtype of HCC with high CSC features (CSC-HCC). METHODS: Stemness scores were analyzed in 5 murine HCC models. A subpopulation of BEX1-positive cells and BEX1-negative cells were sorted from HCC cell lines, and subjected to transcriptome analysis. The expression and function of BEX1 was examined via western blotting, sphere formation assays, and xenograft tumor models. RESULTS: We identified BEX1 as a novel CSC marker that was required for the self-renewal of liver CSCs. Furthermore, zebularine, a potent DNMT1 inhibitor, can induce the reactivation of BEX1 by removing epigenetic inhibition. Notably, BEX1 was highly expressed in patients with HB and CSC-HCC, but not in patients with non-CSC HCC. Moreover, DNMT1-mediated methylation of the BEX1 promoter resulted in differential BEX1 expression patterns in patients with HB, CSC-HCC, and non-CSC-HCC. Mechanistically, BEX1 interacted with RUNX3 to block its inhibition of ß-catenin transcription, which led to the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, and stemness maintenance in both HB and CSC-HCC. In contrast, downregulated BEX1 expression released RUNX3 and inhibited the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in non-CSC-HCC. CONCLUSION: BEX1, under the regulation of DNMT1, is necessary for the self-renewal and maintenance of liver CSCs through activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, rendering BEX1 a potentially valuable therapeutic target in both HB and CSC-HCC. LAY SUMMARY: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to a high rate of cancer recurrence, as well as resistance to conventional therapies. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying their self-renewal remains elusive. Herein, we have reported that BEX1 plays a key role in regulating CSC properties in different types of liver cancer. Targeting BEX1-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling may help to address the high rate of recurrence, and heterogeneity of liver cancer.
Subject(s)
DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1/pharmacology , Liver Neoplasms/genetics , Nerve Tissue Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Animals , DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1/genetics , DNA Methylation/genetics , Disease Models, Animal , Gene Expression , Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology , Mice , Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolismABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of miR-148a in the process of myocardial differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) induced by 5-azacytidine (5-aza) and study the effects of miR-148a on myocardial differentiation of hMSCs. METHODS: The immunofluorescence analysis was used to detect the expressions of the associated mark genes of cardiac specific protein (α-MHC) in the process of myocardial differentiation of hMSCs induced by 5-aza. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to analysis the expressions of miR-148a and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) after myocardial differentiation of hMSCs, respectively. The expression of α-MHC after transfection with synthetic miR-148 mimics and miR-148a inhibitor was examined by Western blot. We used bioinformatics analysis to predict the potential target of miR-148a, and the dual luciferase report gene system was used to verify the predication. After co-transfected with DNMT1 shRNA and miR-148a inhibitors, hMSCs were used to explore the regulatory role and mechnism of miR-148a in the process of myocardial differentiation of hMSCs. RESULTS: α-MHC was increased significantly after induced by 5-azacytidine. miR-148a was increased significantly in cardiomyocyte differentiation of hMSCs, while the gene and protein expression levels of DNMT1 were decreased significantly in this progress (P<0.01). The expression of α-MHC was up-regulated significantly in hMSCs when miR-148a was induced into cardiomyocyte differentiation and overexpressed. Instead, downregulation of miR-148a suppressed α-MHC expression (P<0.01). Knockdown of DNMT1 blocked the role of miR-148a in differentiation of hMSCs. CONCLUSIONS: miR-148a was upregulated in cardiomyocyte differentiation of hMSCs, and miR-148a promoted myocardial differentiation of hMSCs via targeting DNMT1.
