Escape from TGF-β-induced senescence promotes aggressive hallmarks in epithelial hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

IF 6.6 2区 医学 Q1 Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Molecular Oncology Pub Date : 2025-03-14 DOI:10.1002/1878-0261.70021
Minenur Kalyoncu, Dilara Demirci, Sude Eris, Bengisu Dayanc, Ece Cakiroglu, Merve Basol, Merve Uysal, Gulcin Cakan-Akdogan, Fang Liu, Mehmet Ozturk, Gökhan Karakülah, Serif Senturk
{"title":"Escape from TGF-β-induced senescence promotes aggressive hallmarks in epithelial hepatocellular carcinoma cells.","authors":"Minenur Kalyoncu, Dilara Demirci, Sude Eris, Bengisu Dayanc, Ece Cakiroglu, Merve Basol, Merve Uysal, Gulcin Cakan-Akdogan, Fang Liu, Mehmet Ozturk, Gökhan Karakülah, Serif Senturk","doi":"10.1002/1878-0261.70021","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and cellular senescence are key hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis. Despite provoking senescence-associated growth arrest in epithelial HCC cells, elevated TGF-β activity paradoxically correlates with increased aggressiveness and poor prognosis in advanced tumors. Whether the transition between these dichotomous functions involves modulation of the senescence phenotype during disease progression remains elusive. Exploiting the epithelial HCC cell line Huh7 as a robust model, we demonstrate that chronic exposure to TGF-β prompts escape from Smad3-mediated senescence, leading to the development of TGF-β resistance. This altered state is characterized by an optimal proliferation rate and the acquisition of molecular and functional traits of less-differentiated mesenchymal cells, coinciding with differential growth capacity in 2D and 3D culture conditions, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and increased invasiveness in vitro, and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, resistant cells exhibit defective activation and nuclear trafficking of Smad molecules, particularly Smad3, as ectopic activation of the TGF-β/Smad3 axis is able to reinstate TGF-β sensitivity. An integrated transcriptomic landscape reveals both shared and distinct gene signatures associated with senescent and TGF-β resistant states. Importantly, genetic ablation and molecular studies identify microtubule affinity regulating kinase 1 (MARK1) and glutamate metabotropic receptor 8 (GRM8) as critical modulators of the resistance phenomenon, potentially by impairing spatiotemporal signaling dynamics of Smad activity. Our findings unveil a novel phenomenon wherein epithelial HCC cells may exploit senescence plasticity as a mechanism to oppose TGF-β anti-tumor responses and progress towards more aggressive HCC phenotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18764,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Oncology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Molecular Oncology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/1878-0261.70021","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and cellular senescence are key hallmarks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis. Despite provoking senescence-associated growth arrest in epithelial HCC cells, elevated TGF-β activity paradoxically correlates with increased aggressiveness and poor prognosis in advanced tumors. Whether the transition between these dichotomous functions involves modulation of the senescence phenotype during disease progression remains elusive. Exploiting the epithelial HCC cell line Huh7 as a robust model, we demonstrate that chronic exposure to TGF-β prompts escape from Smad3-mediated senescence, leading to the development of TGF-β resistance. This altered state is characterized by an optimal proliferation rate and the acquisition of molecular and functional traits of less-differentiated mesenchymal cells, coinciding with differential growth capacity in 2D and 3D culture conditions, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and increased invasiveness in vitro, and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, resistant cells exhibit defective activation and nuclear trafficking of Smad molecules, particularly Smad3, as ectopic activation of the TGF-β/Smad3 axis is able to reinstate TGF-β sensitivity. An integrated transcriptomic landscape reveals both shared and distinct gene signatures associated with senescent and TGF-β resistant states. Importantly, genetic ablation and molecular studies identify microtubule affinity regulating kinase 1 (MARK1) and glutamate metabotropic receptor 8 (GRM8) as critical modulators of the resistance phenomenon, potentially by impairing spatiotemporal signaling dynamics of Smad activity. Our findings unveil a novel phenomenon wherein epithelial HCC cells may exploit senescence plasticity as a mechanism to oppose TGF-β anti-tumor responses and progress towards more aggressive HCC phenotypes.

查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
来源期刊
Molecular Oncology
Molecular Oncology Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Molecular Medicine
CiteScore
11.80
自引率
1.50%
发文量
203
审稿时长
10 weeks
期刊介绍: Molecular Oncology highlights new discoveries, approaches, and technical developments, in basic, clinical and discovery-driven translational cancer research. It publishes research articles, reviews (by invitation only), and timely science policy articles. The journal is now fully Open Access with all articles published over the past 10 years freely available.
期刊最新文献
Cell-free DNA aneuploidy score as a dynamic early response marker in prostate cancer. Escape from TGF-β-induced senescence promotes aggressive hallmarks in epithelial hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Revisiting CDKN2A dysregulation in Ewing sarcoma. Germline variants in CDKN2A wild-type melanoma prone families. Highly multiplexed digital PCR assay for simultaneous quantification of variant allele frequencies and copy number alterations of KRAS and GNAS in pancreatic cancer precursors.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1