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  • Original Paper
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Methylation silencing of SOCS-3 promotes cell growth and migration by enhancing JAK/STAT and FAK signalings in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Oncogene volume 24, pages 6406–6417 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

We identified that suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) gene was aberrantly methylated in its CpG island in three of 10 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. SOCS-3 RNA was undetectable in five of the 10 HCC cell lines including the three methylated cell lines, and a demethylating agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, reactivated SOCS-3 expression in three cell lines tested. The DNA region where we found aberrant DNA methylation includes a signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) binding consensus sequence. When the DNA region was used as a promoter, DNA methylation markedly reduced promoter activity. SOCS-3 was also aberrantly methylated in six of 18 primary HCC samples. SOCS-3 expression was reduced in three of the three methylated and one of the three unmethylated primary samples examined. Restoration of SOCS-3 in cells lacking SOCS-3 expression suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation and cell growth. We found that IL-6 acted as a growth factor in HCC cells. Inhibition of SOCS-3 expression in cells whose growth was induced by IL-6 enhanced STAT3 phosphorylation and cell growth. In addition, AG490, a chemical JAK2 inhibitor, suppressed cell growth and downregulated STAT3 phosphorylation, but not FAK phosphorylation. We also found that SOCS-3 physically interacted with phosphorylated FAK and Elongin B in HCC cells. Restoration of SOCS-3 decreased FAK phosphorylation as well as FAK protein level. Inhibition of SOCS-3 expression increased FAK phosphorylation, resulting in enhancement of cell migration. These data indicate that SOCS-3 negatively regulates cell growth and cell motility by inhibiting Janus kinase (JAK)/STAT and FAK signalings in HCC cells. Thus, loss of SOCS-3 by the associated DNA methylation confers cells advantage in growth and migration.

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Accession codes

Accessions

GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ

Abbreviations

JAK:

Janus kinase

STAT:

signal transducers and activators of transcription

SOCS:

suppressors of cytokine signaling

HCC:

hepatocellular carcinoma

FAK:

focal adhesion kinase

RLGS:

restriction landmark genomic scanning

MSP:

methylation-specific PCR

5Aza-dC:

5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine

TSA:

trichostatin A

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epigenetic Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan

    Yasuharu Niwa, Yuko Shikauchi, Takahiko Kubo & Hirohide Yoshikawa

  2. Department of Pathology, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan

    Hiroaki Kanda & Tomoyuki Kitagawa

  3. Department of Surgery, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-10-6, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan

    Akio Saiura & Junji Yamamoto

  4. DNA Chip Research Inc., 1-1-43 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Kanagawa, Japan

    Kenichi Matsubara

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  1. Yasuharu Niwa
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Correspondence to Hirohide Yoshikawa.

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Niwa, Y., Kanda, H., Shikauchi, Y. et al. Methylation silencing of SOCS-3 promotes cell growth and migration by enhancing JAK/STAT and FAK signalings in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncogene 24, 6406–6417 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208788

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