Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0019163 (hepatitis B)
38,309 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent data suggest that Bin1, a novel C-MYC interacting protein, is a suppressor gene whose loss of expression is a frequent aberration associated with several malignancies. The mechanism responsible for loss of BIN1 expression is not understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate DNA profile of the BIN1 gene in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells, previously documented with lack of BIN1 expression. Chromosome and molecular analyses of Hep G2 cells were initiated to exclude the possibility of genetic alterations as a factor affecting BIN1 gene expression in these cells. We used Hep G2 cell line and its hepatitis B virus (HBV) transfected variants--Hep G2T14.1 and Hep G2215 cell lines. The cytogenetic localization of BIN1 was identified in the 2q14 region. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with the chromosome 2 whole chromosome painting probe (WCP) demonstrated three or four intact copies of chromosome 2 in all three hepatoma cell lines studied. FISH analyses with the BIN1-specific probe of the Hep G2, Hep G2T14.1, and Hep G2215 metaphase chromosomes document no rearrangement of the BIN1 gene on any of the multiple copies of chromosome 2. FISH with the specific HBV probe did not identify the HBV integration site in Hep G2T14.1 and Hep G2215 cells within the BIN1 locus. Southern blot analyses revealed no genetic rearrangements in the BIN1 gene in any of the cell lines studied. Our RNA analyses (northern blot and RT-PCR) document lack of BIN1 message in Hep G2 cells in contrast to the presence of BIN1 in Hep G2T14.1 and Hep G2215 cells. No difference was identified in other transcripts analyzed, including c-myc. Analyses of BIN1 expression of Hep G2 cells at different passages were initiated and document low levels of BIN1 transcript in Hep G2 cells of passage < 85. Furthermore, BIN1 transcript was identified in additional seven HCC cell lines analyzed. Our data indicate that lack of Bin1 expression in HepG2 cells previously documented is a characteristic of cells of passage > 85 and is not due to genetic loss, or rearrangement within the BIN1 DNA sequence. Loss of the BIN1 transcript is not a characteristic of HCCs analyzed.
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PMID:Investigation of the expression of Bin1, a putative suppressor, in human hepatoma cells. 1061 29

Hepatitis B viral X protein (HBx) and the human p53 protein (p53) have been known as a transactivator and as a tumor suppressor, respectively. These two proteins have also been known to interact with each other to neutralize their authentic functions and the p53 represses the HBV enhancer/X promoter activity. Here we report that the promoter activity of the human p53 gene was strongly repressed by the HBx using the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) assay. Analyses of serial deletion, site-directed mutagenesis and the heterologous promoter system showed that the site responsible for the repression was the E-box element in the promoter of the p53 gene. In addition, HBx as expected also repressed the activation of the p53 promoter by c-Myc through the E-box element. Northern blot analyses also showed that the expression of the p53 gene in the HepG2-K8 cell line, which expresses HBV genes including HBx, was much more repressed than that of the control cell HepG2. These results with previous data suggest that the shift of the reciprocal inhibitory activities at the levels of protein-protein interaction and transcription between HBx and p53 may play a decisive role in the HBV-related hepatocarcinogenesis.
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PMID:Transcriptional repression of the human p53 gene by hepatitis B viral X protein. 1065 96

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) promotes a high level of liver disease and cancer in humans. The HBV HBx gene encodes a small regulatory protein that is essential for viral replication and is suspected to play a role in viral pathogenesis. HBx stimulates cytoplasmic signal transduction pathways, moderately stimulates a number of transcription factors, including several nuclear factors, and in certain settings sensitizes cells to apoptosis by proapoptotic stimuli, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and etopocide. Paradoxically, HBx activates members of the NF-kappaB transcription factor family, some of which are antiapoptotic in function. HBx induces expression of Myc protein family members in certain settings, and Myc can sensitize cells to killing by TNF-alpha. We therefore examined the roles of NF-kappaB, c-Myc, and TNF-alpha in apoptotic killing of cells by HBx. RelA/NF-kappaB is shown to be induced by HBx and to suppress HBx-mediated apoptosis. HBx also induces c-Rel/NF-kappaB, which can promote apoptotic cell death in some contexts or block it in others. Induction of c-Rel by HBx was found to inhibit its ability to directly mediate apoptotic killing of cells. Thus, HBx induction of NF-kappaB family members masks its ability to directly mediate apoptosis, whereas ablation of NF-kappaB reveals it. Investigation of the role of Myc protein demonstrates that overexpression of Myc is essential for acute sensitization of cells to killing by HBx plus TNF-alpha. This study therefore defines a specific set of parameters which must be met for HBx to possibly contribute to HBV pathogenesis.
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PMID:Role of NF-kappaB and myc proteins in apoptosis induced by hepatitis B virus HBx protein. 1111 91

Malignant transformation from mortal, normal cells to immortal, cancer cells is generally associated with activation of telomerase and subsequent telomere maintenance. A major mechanism to regulate telomerase activity in human cells is transcriptional control of the telomerase catalytic subunit gene, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Several transcription factors, including oncogene products (e.g. c-Myc) and tumor suppressor gene products (e.g. WT1 and p53), are able to control hTERT transcription when over-expressed, although it remains to be determined whether a cancer-associated alteration of these factors is primarily responsible for the hTERT activation during carcinogenic processes. Microcell-mediated chromosome transfer experiments have provided evidence for endogenous factors that function to repress the telomerase activity in normal cells and are inactivated in cancer cells. At least one of those endogenous telomerase repressors, which is encoded by a putative tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 3p, acts through transcriptional repression of the hTERT gene. The hTERT gene is also a target site for viruses frequently associated with human cancers, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). HPV E6 protein contributes to keratinocyte immortalization and carcinogenesis through trans-activation of the hTERT gene transcription. In at least some hepatocellular carcinomas, the hTERT gene is a non-random integration site of HBV genome, which activates in cis the hTERT transcription. Thus, a variety of cellular and viral oncogenic mechanisms converge on transcriptional control of the hTERT gene. Regulation of chromatin structure through the modification of nucleosomal histones may mediate the action of these cellular and viral mechanisms. Further elucidation of the hTERT transcriptional regulation, including identification and characterization of the endogenous repressor proteins, should lead to better understanding of the complex regulation of human telomerase in normal and cancer cells and may open up new strategies for anticancer therapy.
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PMID:Transcriptional regulation of the telomerase hTERT gene as a target for cellular and viral oncogenic mechanisms. 1280 29

The proto-oncogene c-myc encodes a transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The signaling mechanism of c-Myc-induced apoptosis was investigated on the human hepatoma Huh7 cells under growth factor-deprived conditions. The apoptotic process did not involve p53. Rather it was dependent on the expression of c-Fos. Activation of caspases 3 and 9 and down-regulation of Bcl2 were observed in the apoptotic process, indicating it to be a mitochondria-dependent event. An increase in the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase that was mediated by a Rac1-dependent and cdc42-independent pathway eventually leading to up-regulation of c-Fos activity was also observed. Deletion analysis of the promoter region of the c-fos gene indicated that the ATF2-responsive element conferred the Myc-induced expression of c-Fos. Co-expression of the dominant-negative mutants of c-Fos, p38, and Rac1 blocked the Myc-mediated apoptosis. SB20358, a chemical inhibitor of p38 pathway, also specifically blocked the apoptotic signaling by c-Myc. Furthermore, co-expression of the hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) along with Myc abrogated the apoptotic signals. The HBx expression was associated with an increase in the levels of phosphorylated AKT and down-regulation of c-Fos by Myc. Thus, c-Fos seems be a new mediator of c-Myc-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:c-Fos is a mediator of the c-myc-induced apoptotic signaling in serum-deprived hepatoma cells via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. 1507 69

In subjects with hepatitis B, carcinogenesis has been associated with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBX) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). In the experiments reported here, we used immunohistochemical methods to study the expression of hTERT and HBV antigens (HBsAg, HBcAg and HBxAg) in 34 cases of HCC and corresponding paratumor tissues, 30 cases of liver cirrhosis, and 6 normal livers. To examine the effect of HBX on hTERT expression and activity in hepatoma cells, we transiently and stably transfected the pCMV-X plasmid cloned HBx gene into H7402 hepatoma cells, then measured the expression of c-Myc and hTERT in these cells with the use of Western-blot analysis. Telomerase activity was detected with the use of the telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) in transiently and stably transfected cells. We found that hTERT expression was 67.6%, 73.5%, and 100% in tumor, paratumor, and cirrhosis samples, respectively, but found no hTERT positivity in samples of normal liver. HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBxAg were expressed in 58.8%, 26.5%, and 76.5% of tumor tissues, respectively; in 64.7%, 41.2%, and 85.3% of the corresponding paratumor tissues; and in 76.7%, 66.7%, and 100% of cirrhotic tissues. The chi 2 test revealed no significant difference between the expression of hTERT and HBxAg in these tissues. Western-blot analysis revealed that expression of c-Myc and hTERT in the transiently transfected cells was much greater than that in the control cells. We elicited a similar result when we used the TRAP method to measure telomerase activity. Our data collectively demonstrate that HBX up-regulates the expression and activity of hTERT in hepatoma cells, suggesting that hTERT is associated with tumor development.
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PMID:Effects of hepatitis B virus X protein on human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression and activity in hepatoma cells. 1574 53

The HBx protein of hepatitis B virus is involved in deregulation of cell cycle and development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Since c-Myc also plays an important role in cell proliferation and tumor development, we studied its regulation by HBx in a human hepatoma cell line. Co-expression of HBx and c-Myc resulted in increased stability of intracellular c-Myc. HBx blocked the ubiquitination of Myc through a direct interaction with the F box region of Skp2 and destabilization of the SCF(Skp2) complex. We suggest that sustained presence of c-Myc combined with mitogenic activity inherent to HBx may be associated with cell cycle deregulation and transformation.
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PMID:The X protein of hepatitis B virus binds to the F box protein Skp2 and inhibits the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of c-Myc. 1637 80

Earlier we have shown that the X-myc transgenic mice develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to co-expression of c-Myc and HBx protein of hepatitis B virus [R. Lakhtakia, V. Kumar, H. Reddi, M. Mathur, S. Dattagupta, S.K. Panda, Hepatocellular carcinoma in a hepatitis B 'x' transgenic mouse model: a sequential pathological evaluation. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 18 (2003) 80-91]. With the aim to develop therapeutic strategies for HCC, we constructed several mono- and bicistronic antisense recombinants against HBx and c-myc genes to regulate their expression as well as transactivation function in a human hepatoma cell line. A dose-dependent inhibition in the expression levels of HBx and c-Myc was observed with monocistronic constructs. Likewise, the bicistronic recombinants also blocked the expression as well as transactivation functions of cognate genes with equal efficacy. Further, expression of the constituent genes from the X-myc transgene could also be inhibited by these antisense constructs in cell culture. Thus, our study points towards clinical implications of antisense regulation of tumor-promoting genes in the management of HCC.
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PMID:Antisense regulation of expression and transactivation functions of the tumorigenic HBx and c-myc genes. 1661 1

The carcinogenic role of Hepatitis B X (HBX) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. Histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase SMYD3 was found to be over-expressed and have a pro-carcinogenic effect in HCC. The role of HBX in regulating SMYD3 activity and the corresponding C-MYC gene in HCC carcinogenesis was investigated. SMYD3 and C-MYC expression in HBV-negative HepG2 and HBV-positive HepG2.2.15 were detected by real time PCR and Western blot. After transfection of HBX into HepG2, SMYD3 and C-MYC protein expression was detected and the apoptosis and proliferation of hepatoma cells were assayed. After SMYD3 expression in HepG2 with HBX transfection downregulated by siRNA, the corresponding C-MYC expression, cellular apoptosis, and proliferation were assayed by FACS. SMYD3 mRNA and protein and C-MYC protein were significantly higher in HepG2.2.15 than in HepG2. HBX transfection resulted in enhanced SMYD3 and C-MYC expressions, decreased cell apoptosis, and increased cell proliferation in HepG2 cells. Knocking down of SMYD3 in HepG2 with HBX transfection inhibited C-MYC expression and promoted apoptosis. These results suggest that HBX upregulates SMYD3 expression in HepG2, which may promote hepatoma development and progress. C-MYC may act as a down-stream gene in HBX-SMYD3-related hepatocarcinogenesis.
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PMID:Hepatitis B virus X protein upregulates expression of SMYD3 and C-MYC in HepG2 cells. 1908 26

Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we were interested in knowing whether the oncogene Lin28A and its homolog Lin28B are involved in the hepatocarcinogenesis mediated by HBx. We showed that the expression levels of Lin28A and Lin28B were increased in clinical HCC tissues, HepG2.2.15 cell line and liver tissues of p21-HBx transgenic mice. Interestingly, the expression levels of HBx were positively associated with those of Lin28A/Lin28B in clinical HCC tissues. Moreover, the overexpression of HBx resulted in the upregulation of Lin28A/Lin28B in hepatoma HepG2/H7402 cell lines by transient transfection, suggesting that HBx was able to upregulate Lin28A and Lin28B. Then, we examined the mechanism by which HBx upregulated Lin28A and Lin28B. We identified that the promoter region of Lin28A regulated by HBx was located at nt -235/-66 that contained Sp-1 binding element. Co-immunoprecipitation showed that HBx was able to interact with Sp-1 in HepG2-X cells. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) demonstrated that HBx could bind to the promoter of Lin28A, which failed to work when Sp-1 was silenced. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) further identified that HBx was able to interact with Sp-1 element in Lin28A promoter via transcription factor Sp-1. In addition, we found that c-Myc was involved in the activation of Lin28B mediated by HBx. In function, Lin28A/Lin28B played important roles in HBx-enhanced proliferation of hepatoma cells in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, HBx activates Lin28A/Lin28B through Sp-1/c-Myc in hepatoma cells. Lin28A/Lin28B serves as key driver genes in HBx-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.
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PMID:Hepatitis B virus X protein upregulates Lin28A/Lin28B through Sp-1/c-Myc to enhance the proliferation of hepatoma cells. 2331 46


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