UMLS:C0019204 - FACTA Search

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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Transcription of the gene coding for serine dehydratase (SDH, EC 4.2.1.13) in the rat in vivo is dramatically increased by glucocorticoid hormones. To identify DNA elements mediating the glucocorticoid-regulated expression of the SDH gene, we transiently transfected 7AD-7 rat hepatoma cells with fusion genes consisting of various regions of the SDH 5' flanking sequence linked to the coding sequence of the gene for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). Analysis of the CAT activities from these 5' deletion mutants identified three closely associated glucocorticoid-responsive elements (GREs), located more than 5 kb upstream relative to the cap site. Two distal GREs act synergistically to confer strong glucocorticoid inducibility to the gene, whereas the proximal GRE functions independently of the distal GREs and confers only a weak hormone response to the gene. The purified DNA-binding domain of rat glucocorticoid receptor binds to the sequence of each GRE as shown by footprinting experiments. However, only one of these sequences contains the TGTTCT consensus sequence reportedly associated with many other GREs.
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PMID:Location and characterization of multiple glucocorticoid-responsive elements in the rat serine dehydratase gene. 149 43

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.
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PMID:[Hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma]. 165 Jun 25

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.
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PMID:[Hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma]. 177 42

Phosphorylation of glucocorticoid receptors is increased by hormone binding and has been implicated in transcriptional regulation. We performed a phosphoamino acid analysis and identified the phosphorylated regions of the glucocorticoid receptor with respect to its functional domains before and after hormone activation. Receptor was isolated by immunoprecipitation from [32P]orthophosphate-labeled FTO 2B rat hepatoma cells grown in the absence or presence of glucocorticoids. The receptor contained mainly phosphoserine, with little phosphothreonine and no phosphotyrosine. Partial proteolysis of receptor from hormone-treated or control cells revealed a similar phosphopeptide pattern. Chemical cleavage with hydroxylamine and cyanogen bromide or digestion with trypsin and chymotrypsin localized the majority of receptor phosphorylation sites to a transactivation domain amino-terminal of the DNA-binding domain. Phosphorylation of this region, termed tau 1/enh2, was increased 2-3-fold by hormone treatment. The DNA-binding domain itself is weakly phosphorylated; no phosphorylation was found in the hormone-binding domain. Phosphorylated regions were also identified in receptor deletion mutants stably transfected into CV-1 monkey kidney cells. Hormone-independent phosphorylation was observed with a strong constitutively active mutant lacking the hormone-binding domain. No phosphorylation was detected in a mutant lacking the amino-terminal region, which showed only weak, hormone-dependent activity. These results support the idea that phosphorylation is important for the strength of the glucocorticoid receptor as a transcriptional regulator.
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PMID:Hormone-dependent phosphorylation of the glucocorticoid receptor occurs mainly in the amino-terminal transactivation domain. 210 36

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is etiologically related to human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most HCCs contain integrated HBV DNA in the liver cellular DNA, suggesting that the integration may be involved in carcinogenesis. From a comparison of a single HBV integration site present in a hepatoma with the corresponding unoccupied site in the non-tumourous tissue of the same liver, we have shown that HBV DNA inserted in a putative cellular exon with striking similarity to the DNA-binding domain of the thyroid/steroid hormone receptors. The corresponding cDNA has been isolated (hap gene) and shown to encode the retinoic acid receptor. In the original patient, integration took place so that the first codons of the viral surface protein gene became fused in frame with most of the hap gene. Because retinoic acid is known to regulate the transcription of target genes crucial for cellular growth and differentiation, it is most probable that consequent to the HBV insertion, hap, usually transcribed at a very low level in normal hepatocytes, became inappropriately expressed as an altered chimaeric retinoic acid receptor, thus contributing to the cell transformation. These results strongly support the possibility that HBV may play a direct role in liver carcinogenesis by insertional mutagenesis.
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PMID:Hepatitis B virus as an insertional mutagene in a human hepatocellular carcinoma. 217 Aug 9

We used molecular genetic methods to generate systematically altered forms of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP). The aim of our experiments was to identify regions of C/EBP that contribute to its capacity to activate transcription from the promoter of the serum albumin gene in cultured hepatoma cells. Earlier experiments had shown that the DNA-binding domain must remain intact for C/EBP to activate albumin transcription. We now provide evidence of two additional elements of C/EBP that are required for its gene-activating role. One such element occurs within a 28-residue region located close to the amino terminus of the protein. The other maps to a broader, more internal region of the protein and appears to exhibit functional redundancy. These newly defined elements of C/EBP exhibit two characteristics of "activation" domains delineated in studies of other gene regulatory proteins. First, they play no obvious role in the capacity of C/EBP to bind to its DNA substrate. Second, they retain function after being appended onto the DNA-binding domain of a different protein. Neither of these putative activating elements is characterized by overt distinction in either charge or preponderance of any particular amino acid. The more amino-terminal element does, however, exhibit several features suggesting that it may assume an alpha-helical structure. These studies offer observations and reagents that will be valuable for future studies concerning the physiologic function of C/EBP.
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PMID:Identification of two polypeptide segments of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein required for transcriptional activation of the serum albumin gene. 222 17

Upon binding of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (called dioxin or TCDD), the dioxin receptor exhibits increased affinity for the cell nucleus in vivo and for DNA in vitro. To define the recognition sequence of the dioxin receptor and its relationship with that of the glucocorticoid receptor, oligonucleotides derived from dioxin-responsive elements of the rat cytochrome P-450c gene were tested for their ability to form specific protein-DNA complexes in a gel retardation assay. We found that a previously defined sequence motif that is similar to the glucocorticoid-responsive element and exhibits strong enhancer activity in response to dioxin receptor ligands bound a dioxin-inducible factor with high specificity but was not recognized by the DNA-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor. Binding to this element was only observed in nuclear extracts of wild-type mouse hepatoma cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner and not in nuclear extracts from a nonresponsive mutant cell line deficient in DNA binding of the dioxin receptor. The specific DNA-binding activity in wild-type nuclear extracts comigrated in a Superose size-exclusion column and cosedimented on sucrose gradients with the in vivo labeled dioxin receptor. These experiments strongly suggest that the dioxin receptor is a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein and is not only biochemically but also functionally similar to the steroid receptor family.
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PMID:Specific protein-DNA interactions at a xenobiotic-responsive element: copurification of dioxin receptor and DNA-binding activity. 253 61

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is clearly involved in the aetiology of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the finding of HBV DNA integration into human liver DNA in almost all HCCs studied suggested that these integrated viral sequences may be involved in liver oncogenesis. Several HBV integrations in different HCCs and HCC-derived cell lines have been analysed after molecular cloning without revealing any obvious role for HBV. From a comparison of a HBV integration site present in a particular HCC with the corresponding unoccupied site in the non-tumorous tissue of the same liver, we now report that HBV integration places the viral sequence next to a liver cell sequence which bears a striking resemblance to both an oncogene (v-erb-A) and the supposed DNA-binding domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor and human oestrogen receptor genes. We suggest that this gene, usually silent or transcribed at a very low level in normal hepatocytes, becomes inappropriately expressed as a consequence of HBV integration, thus contributing to the cell transformation.
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PMID:Hepatitis B virus DNA integration in a sequence homologous to v-erb-A and steroid receptor genes in a hepatocellular carcinoma. 301 47

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is produced by the liver and regulated by glucocorticoids and insulin at the level of gene transcription. To identify DNA sequences mediating the effects of glucocorticoids and insulin on IGFBP-1 promoter activity we created luciferase reporter gene constructs and performed transfection studies in H4IIE hepatoma cells. Initial studies confirmed that the IGFBP-1 promoter is functional when inserted in the correct orientation, but not in the reverse orientation. Dexamethasone (DEX) increased promoter activity 10-fold, and insulin reversed this effect of DEX by 85% at 8 h. The effects of DEX were abolished when constructs were truncated to 89 bases from the RNA cap site, and DNase footprinting with the DNA-binding domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor identified an imperfect palindrome containing two receptor-binding sites separated by three nucleotides typical of a glucocorticoid response element (GRE) at this location. Mutation of either binding site (or half-site) disrupted the effects of DEX, confirming that this sequence functions as a GRE. Two other regions of the promoter also footprinted with the glucocorticoid receptor protein and contained sequences consistent with glucocorticoid receptor-binding sites; however, neither of these footprints contained the full structure expected of a functional GRE, and neither mutation nor deletion of these other sequences altered the effects of DEX on promoter activity. To identify the DNA sequences required for the effects of insulin on glucocorticoid-stimulated promoter activity, we created internal deletions throughout the IGFBP-1 promoter region. Deletion of the 22-basepair (bp) sequence immediately 5' from the GRE disrupted the effect of insulin and appeared to increase basal promoter activity at least 2-fold in each of eight experiments (P < 0.001 vs. intact promoter). This region of the IGFBP-1 promoter contains a 19-bp palindrome (CAAAACAAACTTATTTTG) that overlaps the 5'-end of the GRE and is fully conserved in the human IGFBP-1 promoter. Each half of this palindrome resembles previously identified insulin response sequences, and deletion/mutation analysis suggests that each half may contribute to the effects of insulin on promoter activity. Gel shift studies confirmed that this palindrome binds H4IIE nuclear proteins. In summary, we have identified a GRE in the 5'-promoter region of the rat IGFBP-1 gene approximately 90 bp up-stream from the RNA cap site as well as a contiguous 22-bp region that plays a critical role in mediating the effects of insulin on glucocorticoid-stimulated promoter activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Functional analysis of glucocorticoid and insulin response sequences in the rat insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 promoter. 750 35

To investigate whether DNA replication in malignant cells deviates from that of normal cells we compared DNA polymerases alpha, delta, and epsilon from normal rat liver to the enzymes from fast-growing (malignant) Novikoff hepatoma cells. DNA polymerases were purified 300-fold by three chromatographic steps. Characterization included measurement of physicochemical constants (including sedimentation coefficients, diffusion coefficients, calculation of relative molecular masses), quantitation of catalytic activities using specific DNA primer templates (Km values) and inhibitors (Ki values), and identification of polypeptides which are strongly associated with DNA polymerases. Comparison of physicochemical and catalytic properties of DNA polymerases from both sources revealed similarities but also some important differences. DNA primase associated with DNA polymerase alpha, and 3'-5' exonuclease accompanying DNA polymerases delta and epsilon had similar activities. In contrast, the DNA-binding domain of DNA polymerases alpha and epsilon from hepatoma cells was altered since Km values, determined with the specific primer templates gapped calf thymus DNA and poly(dA.dT), were higher. Furthermore, sedimentation and diffusion coefficients, Stokes' radii, and frictional coefficient ratios of DNA polymerases alpha and epsilon from malignant cells significantly deviated. In addition, when the dNTP-binding sites were probed with specific inhibitors (aphidicolin, butylphenyl-dGTP, carbonyldiphosphonate, and dideoxy-TTP), significantly lower Ki values were obtained for the polymerases from Novikoff cells indicating lower affinity of the dNTP binding site to deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates. Altered catalytic and molecular properties are possibly a consequence of malignant transformation. It is to be expected that similar changes occur in DNA polymerases of other tumors. In particular, diminished affinity to primer templates and weakened nucleotide binding leads to lowered specificity of nucleotide selection in the base-pairing process and is therefore likely to cause an enhanced mutation rate during malignant progression.
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PMID:DNA polymerases alpha, delta, and epsilon of Novikoff hepatoma cells differ from those of normal rat liver in physicochemical and catalytic properties. 767 Sep 30

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