Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The woodchuck intronless proto-oncogene N-myc2 was initially discovered as a frequent target site for hepadnavirus integration in hepatocellular carcinoma. N-myc2 possesses characteristics of a functional retroposon derived from the woodchuck N-myc gene. We have investigated the regulatory signals governing N-myc2 expression and found that a short promoter, including a variant TATA box and potential binding sites for several transcription factors, is localized in the N-myc2 sequences homologous to the 5' untranslated region of the second N-myc exon. The corresponding region in the intron-containing woodchuck N-myc gene also exhibited promoter activity in transient transfection assays. The high evolutionary conservation of these sequences in mammalian N-myc genes suggests that they contain a cryptic N-myc promoter which may be unmasked in the particular context provided by the N-myc2 retroposon. Although N-myc2, like the woodchuck N-myc gene, contributes to an extended CpG island and was found constitutively hypomethylated, it presents a highly restricted expression pattern in adult animals. Whereas the intron-containing N-myc gene is expressed at low levels in different tissues, N-myc2 mRNA was detected only in brain tissue, raising questions about the functional significance of the maintenance of a second N-myc gene in the woodchuck genome.
 ...
PMID:Expression of the woodchuck N-myc2 retroposon in brain and in liver tumors is driven by a cryptic N-myc promoter. 133 41

Point-mutational activation of the c-Ki-ras proto-oncogene has been shown to be rare in human hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common primary liver cancer and one usually associated with chronic viral infection. To reveal the association of c-Ki-ras activation with cholangiocarcinogenesis under different etiological backgrounds, the incidence of point mutation at codons 12 and 13 of the c-Ki-ras proto-oncogene was examined in three groups of human liver cancers with differentiation to biliary epithelial cells: Group 1, cholangiocellular carcinoma in Japanese with normal livers; Group 2, cholangiocellular carcinoma in Thais who had lived in an area where the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini is endemic; and Group 3, combined hepatocellular-cholangiocellular carcinoma, a rare type showing features of both hepatocellular and biliary epithelial differentiation, in Japanese with chronic viral hepatitis with or without cirrhosis. The polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing of its product were used to detect the mutation. Point mutation at codon 12 of the c-Ki-ras gene was detected in five (56%) of nine cases in Group 1. In contrast, the mutation was not detected in any of the cases in Groups 2 and 3. Therefore, point-mutational activation of c-Ki-ras did not seem to be involved in the development of primary liver cancers associated with apparent chronic irritation of liver cells or biliary epithelial cells caused by exogenous liver-fluke or viral infection. On the other hand, point-mutational activation of the c-Ki-ras proto-oncogene may be involved in cholangiocarcinogenesis in liver without preexisting liver-fluke or viral infection.
 ...
PMID:Cholangiocarcinomas in Japanese and Thai patients: difference in etiology and incidence of point mutation of the c-Ki-ras proto-oncogene. 133 66

The c-erbB-2 proto-oncogene encodes a transmembrane protein which is homologous to the epidermal growth factor receptor. This protein can be localized immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material using a monoclonal antibody NCL-CB11; positive membrane staining correlates with gene amplification and protein overexpression in breast cancer. Using this technique we have shown that only 2/26 (8%) of hepatocellular carcinomas, 0/10 (0%) of cholangiocarcinomas and 0/2 (0%) hepatoblastomas overexpressed c-erbB-2 as evidenced by membrane staining. Moreover c-erbB-2 mRNA was not detected in seven hepatocellular carcinomas examined by Northern blot analysis. c-erbB-2 overexpression is, therefore, unlikely to be contributing to the malignant phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
 ...
PMID:c-erbB-2 oncogene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. 138 26

One of insulin's actions is the induction of DNA synthesis and cell division, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. Previous studies indicate that insulin stimulates cell division and regulates the expression of several genes in rat H4IIE (H4) hepatoma cells. One of these genes is the proto-oncogene c-fos, a cellular gene whose deregulation has been implicated in the process of cellular differentiation and division. We have shown that insulin induces transcription of the c-fos gene in H4 cells. In the present study, the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), stimulated c-fos transcription in a rapid and dose-dependent manner with an 800% increase in transcription following 15-30 min of addition. This increase in c-fos transcription was transitory, returning towards baseline transcription rates within 120 min. PMA stimulated the translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) from the cytoplasm to the membrane in H4 hepatoma cells, as evidenced by a 77% decrease in cytosolic PKC and a 29% increase in membrane PKC activity following 10 min of treatment. Insulin addition to H4 cells for 10 min also resulted in a 31% decrease in cytosolic PKC activity, suggesting a translocation response. When H4 cells were pretreated with PMA for 24 h, there was a decrease of 20-45% in both cytosolic and membrane PKC activity and a complete loss of PMA's induction of c-fos transcription. Thus, the cells were functionally desensitized to further PMA addition. When cells were pretreated with PMA for 24 h, the insulin-induced increase in transcription of c-fos was reduced by 50%. Western blot analysis indicated that the PKC-beta isozyme followed a translocation pattern almost identical with that of total PKC activity. These results suggest that a PMA-sensitive form of PKC is preferentially lost upon PMA pretreatment and that this PKC subtype may be necessary for insulin to fully induce c-fos gene expression.
 ...
PMID:Role of protein kinase C in insulin's regulation of c-fos transcription. 157 56

Among environmental pollutants, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; dioxin) is one of the most potent tumor promoters and teratogens known. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the biological activity of TCDD, however, remain largely unknown. In this report, we show that the first observable effects of TCDD in cultured murine hepatoma cells are a rapid, transient increase in Ca2+ influx and a minor but significant elevation of activated, membrane-bound protein kinase C. These changes are then followed by induction of the immediate early proto-oncogenes c-fos, jun-B, c-jun, and jun-D, and by large increases in AP-1 transcription factor activity. Induction of these changes by TCDD is delayed compared with that by phorbol esters, although the magnitude of the effects caused by both treatments is similar, and both induction processes can be blocked by staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor. In cultured cells, proto-oncogene induction by TCDD appears to be independent of the presence of a functional aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor or nuclear translocation protein. These results reveal early events that may lead to the elucidation of the molecular basis of TCDD-induced tumor promotion.
 ...
PMID:Dioxin induces expression of c-fos and c-jun proto-oncogenes and a large increase in transcription factor AP-1. 160 50

Hepatocellular carcinomas in woodchuck were characterized for woodchuck hepatitis virus integration near c-myc oncogene. In one tumor, viral integration resulted in overexpression of a c-myc viral cotranscript. In a second tumor, viral insertion, 600 bp upstream of c-myc exon 1, was associated with increased levels of normal c-myc mRNA. These results demonstrate that integration of woodchuck hepatitis virus near a proto-oncogene can contribute to the genesis of liver tumors. From a comparison of a single hepatitis B virus (HBV) integration site in a human hepatoma with the corresponding unoccupied site have shown HBV DNA insertion in a putative cellular exon. This exon presented striking similarity to the DNA-binding domain of the thyroid/steroid hormones receptors. The corresponding cDNA has been isolated (hap gene) a shown to encode the retinoic acid receptor. It is most probable that consequent to HBV insertion, has became inappropriately expressed as an altered chimaeric gene retinoic acid receptor, thus contributing to the cell transformation. As for woodchuck these results strongly support the possibility that HBV may play a direct role in liver carcinogenesis by insertional mutagenesis.
 ...
PMID:[Hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma]. 165 Jun 25

Changes of nucleotide sequences and expressions of cellular oncogenes in human hepatoma cell lines, PLC/PRF/5, HCC-M and HCC-T cells, were examined by Southern and Northern blot analyses. The probes used are DNA fragment of myc, N-, H-, K-ras, fos, fms, raf, erb-A, erb-B, and erb-B2 genes and synthetic oligonucleotides corresponding to the part of N-, H-, K-ras genes. The results are as follows. DNA amplification and rearrangement were not detected in these three human hepatoma cell lines. Point mutations at codons 12, 13, and 61 in N- and K-ras genes were not demonstrated in these cell lines. N-, H-, K-ras and myc transcripts were detected in these three cell lines. However, fos gene transcript was detected only in PLC/PRF/5 and HCC-M cells which were derived from hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma and having integrated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. These data showed that there are no specific proto-oncogene expression into RNA except for myc and ras genes, nor DNA rearrangement in these 3 human hepatoma cell lines with regards to at least 10 different oncogenes examined and suggest the relationship between fos gene expression and integration of HBV DNA in host cell DNA.
 ...
PMID:Proto-oncogene expression in three human hepatoma cell lines, HCC-M, HCC-T and PLC/PRF/5. 166 47

Hepatocellular carcinoma in woodchuck were characterized for woodchuck hepatitis virus integration nea c-myc oncogene. In one tumor, viral integration resulted in overexpression of a c-myc viral cotranscript. In a second tumor, viral insertion, 600 bp upstream of c-myc exon 1, was associated with increased levels of normal c-myc mRNA. These results demonstrate that integration of woodchuck hepatitis virus near a proto-oncogene can contribute to the genesis of liver tumors. From a comparison of a single hepatitis B virus (HBV) integration site in a human hepatoma with the corresponding unoccupied site have shown HBV DNA insertion in a putative cellular exon. This exon presented striking similarity to the DNA-binding domain of the thyroid/steriod hormones receptors. The corresponding cDNA has been isolated (hap gene) as shown to encode the retinoic acid receptor. It is most probable that consequent to HBV insertion, hap gene became inappropriately expressed as an altered chimaeric gene retinoic acid receptor, thus contributing to the cell transformation. As for woodchuck these results strongly support the possibility that HBV, may play a direct role in liver carcinogenesis by insertional mutagenesis.
 ...
PMID:[Hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma]. 177 42

One of insulin's least studied actions is its ability to induce DNA synthesis and cell division. In rat H4IIE hepatoma cells insulin, acting through its own receptor, stimulates cell division. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in this effect. The proto-oncogene c-myc is a cellular gene which when expressed at abnormal levels is often associated with the process of tumorigenesis. Expression of the normal cellular myc gene may be necessary for growth factor-induced cell cycling. In the present work, insulin was shown to regulate cellular accumulation and transcription of the c-myc gene in rat hepatoma cells. The control of c-myc by insulin was complex, with an initial-induced decrease in c-myc transcription to 50% of control values at 15 and 30 min. This was followed by an increase in transcription of about 3-fold by 60-120 min. Similar to the initial inhibitory effect of insulin, the protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide or anisomycin decreased c-myc transcription. However, there was no secondary induction of c-myc transcription by protein synthesis inhibitors. The effects of both insulin and protein synthesis inhibitors were shown to be through alterations in intragenic pausing of transcription of the sense mRNA, not through changes initiation of transcription.
 ...
PMID:Inhibition and stimulation of c-myc gene transcription by insulin in rat hepatoma cells. Insulin alters the intragenic pausing of c-myc transcription. 191 37

In H4IIE rat hepatoma cells insulin interacts with its receptors to induce DNA synthesis and promote cell division. However, the postreceptor events that lead to DNA synthesis and cell division have not been well characterized. Previous studies indicate that insulin can regulate the expression of several genes in H4 cells. One of these genes is the proto-oncogene c-fos, a cellular gene whose deregulation has been implicated in the process of cellular differentiation and division. In the present work insulin is shown to regulate cellular c-fos mRNA accumulation and the transcription rate of the c-fos gene. Insulin caused a rapid, dose-dependent increase in the cytoplasmic concentration of c-fos mRNA which was maximal by 30 min. Preceding this, a more rapid 6-8 fold increase in transcription of the c-fos gene was observed. Induction of transcription was apparent following only 5 min of insulin addition. This is the most rapid effect of insulin yet demonstrated on the induction of gene expression. Protein synthesis inhibitors (cycloheximide, anisomycin) also induced the transcription of the c-fos gene. However, they stimulated a much greater increase in transcription than did insulin, and followed a different time course of action. The addition of insulin in combination with a protein synthesis inhibitor resulted in no greater increase in c-fos transcription than did the addition of a protein synthesis inhibitor alone. The nonadditivity of H4 cell c-fos gene expression may indicate a similar mode of action by insulin and protein synthesis inhibitors.
 ...
PMID:Insulin's regulation of c-fos gene transcription in hepatoma cells. 211 1


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>