Abstract
E-cadherin is a key cell adhesion molecule implicated as a tumor suppressor, which is frequently altered in hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related tumors. Here, we report that HBV X protein (HBx) represses E-cadherin expression at the transcription level. Based on the differential effects of HBx natural variants, we determined that Lys-130 in the transactivation domain of HBx is critical for the E-cadherin repression. The repression effect of HBx was abolished after treatment with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5′-Aza-2′dC. In addition, methylation-specific PCR analysis revealed that the CpG island 1 of E-cadherin promoter is hypermethylated by HBx. Furthermore, HBx induces DNA methyltransferase 1 expression by stimulating its transcription. Therefore, we conclude that HBx represses E-cadherin expression by inducing methylation-mediated promoter inactivation. The reduced E-cadherin expression results in dramatic morphological changes of the HBx-expressing cells. In addition, HBx-expressing cells aggregate poorly in suspension culture, reflecting their altered intercellular interactions. The biological significance was further demonstrated by the increased collagen invasion ability of HBx-expressing cells. Therefore, the present study suggests that HBx plays a role during hepatocellular carcinogenesis by favoring cell detachment from the surrounding cells and migration outside of the primary tumor site.
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Accession codes
Abbreviations
- HBV:
-
hepatitis B virus
- HBx:
-
HBV X protein
- DNMT:
-
DNA methylatransferase
- GAPDH:
-
glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase
- HBSS:
-
Hank's balanced salt solution
- HCC:
-
hepatocellular carcinoma
- MMP:
-
matrix metalloproteinase
- MSP:
-
methylation-specific PCR
- SDS:
-
sodium dodecyl sulfate
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by a grant from Pusan National University. HJK was supported by a postdoctoral training fellowship from Pusan National University.
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Lee, JO., Kwun, H., Jung, J. et al. Hepatitis B virus X protein represses E-cadherin expression via activation of DNA methyltransferase 1. Oncogene 24, 6617–6625 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208827
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208827
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