Integrated analysis revealing the role of TET3-mediated MUC13 promoter hypomethylation in hepatocellular carcinogenesis
Abstract
Aim: To explore the function and underlying mechanism of MUC13 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) oncogenesis. Materials & Methods: Online databases and software were used to perform analyses of expression, methylation and enrichment pathway. Experiments were performed to confirm the results using HCC cells in vitro. Results: MUC13 was upregulated in HCC and liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) and had a positive influence on CSC generation. Further analyses revealed that MUC13 with promoter hypomethylated was regulated by DNA demethylase TET3, which was overexpressed in HCC and liver CSCs. Conclusion: These results strongly suggested that high TET3 expression in liver CSCs may mediate MUC13 upregulation via promoter hypomethylation and thereby contribute to hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
Plain language summary
To understand the function and mechanism of MUC13 in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, online databases and software were used to analyze MUC13 expression, promoter methylation and enrichment pathway. Experiments were also performed to further confirm the results in vitro. MUC13 was upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and had a positive influence on cancer stem cell (CSC) generation. Further analyses revealed that MUC13 with promoter hypomethylated was regulated by DNA demethylase TET3, which was overexpressed in HCC and liver CSCs. Importantly, it was revealed that MUC13 with promoter hypomethylated, was regulated by TET3, which was overexpressed in HCC and liver CSCs. These results strongly suggest that high TET3 expression in liver CSCs may mediate promoter hypomethylation and expression upregulation of MUC13, thereby contributing to hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest
References
- 1. . Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: current best practice and future direction. Gastroenterology 157(1), 54–64 (2019). • Gives the rationale for exploring a new biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- 2. . Evidence-based diagnosis, staging, and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology 150(4), 835–853 (2016).
- 3. . Hepatocellular carcinoma. N. Engl. J. Med. 380(15), 1450–1462 (2019).
- 4. A noncoding regulatory RNAs network driven by circ-CDYL acts specifically in the early stages hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology
doi: 10.1002/hep.30795 (2019). - 5. Gut microbiome analysis as a tool towards targeted non-invasive biomarkers for early hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut 68(6), 1014–1023 (2019).
- 6. The zinc finger protein Miz1 suppresses liver tumorigenesis by restricting hepatocyte-driven macrophage activation and inflammation. Immunity 54(6), 1168–1185 e1168 (2021).
- 7. Mutation profile and its correlation with clinicopathology in Chinese hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Hepatobiliary Surg. Nutr. 10(2), 172–179 (2021).
- 8. Interplay of genetic and epigenetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma. Epigenomics 8(7), 993–1005 (2016). •• Adds evidence of the roles of epigenetic regulators in HCC.
- 9. . Muc13, a novel human cell surface mucin expressed by epithelial and hemopoietic cells. J. Biol. Chem. 276(21), 18327–18336 (2001).
- 10. Dual RNA-seq identifies human mucosal immunity protein Mucin-13 as a hallmark of plasmodium exoerythrocytic infection. Nat. Commun. 10(1), 488 (2019).
- 11. The MUC13 cell-surface mucin protects against intestinal inflammation by inhibiting epithelial cell apoptosis. Gut 60(12), 1661–1670 (2011).
- 12. Expression and functions of transmembrane mucin MUC13 in ovarian cancer. Cancer Res. 69(3), 765–774 (2009). • Rationale for the authors' further investigation of MUC13 in HCC.
- 13. MUC13 interaction with receptor tyrosine kinase HER2 drives pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression. Oncogene 36(4), 491–500 (2017).
- 14. MUC13 protects colorectal cancer cells from death by activating the NF-kappaB pathway and is a potential therapeutic target. Oncogene 36(5), 700–713 (2017).
- 15. Single-cell RNA-seq supports a developmental hierarchy in human oligodendroglioma. Nature 539(7628), 309–313 (2016).
- 16. . Epithelial plasticity: a common theme in embryonic and cancer cells. Science 342(6159), 1234850 (2013).
- 17. Defining the clonal dynamics leading to mouse skin tumour initiation. Nature 536(7616), 298–303 (2016).
- 18. . Epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity of cancer stem cells: therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. J. Hematol. Oncol. 9(1), 74 (2016).
- 19. . 3D chromatin architecture and epigenetic regulation in cancer stem cells. Protein Cell 12(6), 440–454 (2021). • Adds evidence of the roles of epigenetic regulators in cancer stem cells (CSCs).
- 20. Circ-MALAT1 functions as both an mRNA translation Brake and a microRNA sponge to promote self-renewal of hepatocellular cancer stem cells. Adv. Sci. (Weinh.) 7(4), 1900949 (2020).
- 21. ONCOMINE: a cancer microarray database and integrated data-mining platform. Neoplasia 6(1), 1–6 (2004).
- 22. UALCAN: a portal for facilitating tumor subgroup gene expression and survival analyses. Neoplasia 19(8), 649–658 (2017).
- 23. . LinkedOmics: analyzing multi-omics data within and across 32 cancer types. Nucleic Acids Res. 46(D1), D956–D963 (2018).
- 24. FunRich: an open access standalone functional enrichment and interaction network analysis tool. Proteomics 15(15), 2597–2601 (2015).
- 25. . Wanderer, an interactive viewer to explore DNA methylation and gene expression data in human cancer. Epigenetics Chromatin 8, 22 (2015).
- 26. MethHC: a database of DNA methylation and gene expression in human cancer. Nucleic Acids Res. 43, D856–D861 (2015).
- 27. . Murine cirrhosis induces hepatocyte epithelial mesenchymal transition and alterations in survival signaling pathways. Hepatology 48(3), 909–919 (2008).
- 28. Hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat. Rev. Dis. Primers 7(1), 6 (2021).
- 29. . What is an ROC curve? Emerg. Med. J. 34(6), 357–359 (2017).
- 30. . Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity: a central regulator of cancer progression. Trends Cell Biol. 25(11), 675–686 (2015).
- 31. DNA methylation-based prognosis and epidrivers in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 61(6), 1945–1956 (2015).
- 32. . Role of TET enzymes in DNA methylation, development, and cancer. Genes Dev. 30(7), 733–750 (2016).
- 33. TET3 promotes AML growth and epigenetically regulates glucose metabolism and leukemic stem cell associated pathways. Leukemia
doi:10.1038/s41375-021-01390–3 (2021). •• Adds evidence of the role of TET3 in CSCs. - 34. Integrin alpha6 signaling induces STAT3-TET3-mediated hydroxymethylation of genes critical for maintenance of glioma stem cells. Oncogene 39(10), 2156–2169 (2020).
- 35. . A perspective on cancer cell metastasis. Science 331(6024), 1559–1564 (2011).
- 36. Epigenetic activation of WNT5A drives glioblastoma stem cell differentiation and invasive growth. Cell 167(5), 1281–1295 e1218 (2016).
- 37. . Metastatic colonization by circulating tumour cells. Nature 529(7586), 298–306 (2016).
- 38. . A global view of hepatocellular carcinoma: trends, risk, prevention and management. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 16(10), 589–604 (2019).
- 39. . Recent advances in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. Pharmacol. Ther. 173, 106–117 (2017).
- 40. A randomized controlled trial of radiofrequency ablation and surgical resection in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma. J. Hepatol. 57(4), 794–802 (2012).
- 41. Clinical significance and predictive factors of early massive recurrence after radiofrequency ablation in patients with a single small hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin. Mol. Hepatol. 22(4), 477–486 (2016).
- 42. . Hepatocellular carcinoma. Lancet 379(9822), 1245–1255 (2012).
- 43. Evaluation of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas that do not produce alpha-fetoprotein. JAMA Surg. 152(1), 55–64 (2017).
- 44. . Surveillance for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma by ultrasound plus alpha-fetoprotein measurement: more details, more significance. Gastroenterology 155(4), 1274–1275 (2018).
- 45. . Liquid biopsy for liver diseases. Gut 67(12), 2204–2212 (2018).
- 46. . Liquid biopsy in hepatocellular carcinoma: circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA. Mol. Cancer 18(1), 114 (2019).
- 47. Circulating tumor cells: biology and clinical significance. Signal Transduct. Target Ther. 6(1), 404 (2021).
- 48. Detection of circulating tumor cells and their implications as a biomarker for diagnosis, prognostication, and therapeutic monitoring in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 73(1), 422–436 (2021). • Explains why MUC13, a membrane protein, could be explored for circulating tumor cell detection.
- 49. Circulating tumor cell detection in hepatocellular carcinoma based on karyoplasmic ratios using imaging flow cytometry. Sci. Rep. 6, 39808 (2016).
- 50. Evaluation and consequences of heterogeneity in the circulating tumor cell compartment. Oncotarget 7(30), 48625–48643 (2016).