KCTD17-mediated Ras stabilization promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression
- Author:
Young Hoon JUNG
1
;
Yun Ji LEE
;
Tam DAO
;
Kyung Hee JUNG
;
Junjie YU
;
Ah-Reum OH
;
Yelin JEONG
;
HyunJoon GI
;
Young Un KIM
;
Dongryeol RYU
;
Michele CARRER
;
Utpal B. PAJVANI
;
Sang Bae LEE
;
Soon-Sun HONG
;
KyeongJin KIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2024;30(4):895-913
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background/Aims:Potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 17 (KCTD17) protein, an adaptor for the cullin3 (Cul3) ubiquitin ligase complex, has been implicated in various human diseases; however, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. Here, we aimed to elucidate the clinical features of KCTD17, and investigate the mechanisms by which KCTD17 affects HCC progression.
Methods:We analyzed transcriptomic data from patients with HCC. Hepatocyte-specific KCTD17 deficient mice were treated with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) to assess its effect on HCC progression. Additionally, we tested KCTD17-directed antisense oligonucleotides for their therapeutic potential in vivo.
Results:Our investigation revealed the upregulation of KCTD17 expression in both tumors from patients with HCC and mouse models of HCC, in comparison to non-tumor controls. We identified the leucine zipper-like transcriptional regulator 1 (Lztr1) protein, a previously identified Ras destabilizer, as a substrate for KCTD17-Cul3 complex. KCTD17-mediated Lztr1 degradation led to Ras stabilization, resulting in increased proliferation, migration, and wound healing in liver cancer cells. Hepatocyte-specific KCTD17 deficient mice or liver cancer xenograft models were less susceptible to carcinogenesis or tumor growth. Similarly, treatment with KCTD17-directed antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) in a mouse model of HCC markedly lowered tumor volume as well as Ras protein levels, compared to those in control ASO-treated mice.
Conclusions:KCTD17 induces the stabilization of Ras and downstream signaling pathways and HCC progression and may represent a novel therapeutic target for HCC.
