Caveolin-1 promotes invasion and metastasis by upregulating Pofut1 expression in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Jun 17;10(7):477. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1703-1.

Abstract

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is an important structural protein of caveolae and plays an oncogene-like role by influencing protein glycosylation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the mechanism by which Cav-1 promotes invasion and metastasis capacity has not been completely clarified. In this study, we demonstrate that Pofut1 is a fucosyltransferase induced by Cav-1. Mouse Hepa1-6 HCC cells lacking Cav-1 expression exhibited low transcription levels of Pofut1, whereas strong Pofut1 expression was found in high-metastasis-potential Hca-F cells with high levels of Cav-1. Cav-1 activated MAPK signaling and promoted phosphorylation of the transcription factors CREB, Sp1, HNF4A and c-Myc, which bound to the Pofut1 promoter region to induce its transcription. As Notch signaling receptors can be modified with O-fucose by Pofut1, we further showed that Cav-1-induced upregulation of Pofut1 expression activated the Notch pathway and thus enhanced invasion and metastasis by mouse HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which Cav-1 promotes tumor metastasis by upregulating expression of Pofut1, suggesting that Cav-1 may function as a new biomarker for HCC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Retracted Publication

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy*
  • Caveolin 1 / genetics
  • Caveolin 1 / metabolism*
  • Caveolin 1 / physiology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
  • Fucosyltransferases / genetics
  • Fucosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / physiology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Phosphorylation / genetics
  • Phosphorylation / physiology
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology

Substances

  • Caveolin 1
  • Fucosyltransferases
  • Pofut1 protein, mouse