遗传 ›› 2024, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 46-62.doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.23-224

• 研究报告 • 上一篇    下一篇

PTBP1通过调控FGFR2的可变剪接促进肝癌的发展

陈昱颖1,2(), 张倩3(), 桂梦会4, 冯岚2, 曹鹏博2, 周钢桥1,2,4()   

  1. 1.南华大学衡阳医学院,衡阳 421001
    2.军事科学院军事医学研究院辐射医学研究所,医学蛋白质组全国重点实验室,国家蛋白质科学中心,北京 100850
    3.四川大学华西医院,转化医学国家重大科技基础设施,成都 610000
    4.南京医科大学公共卫生学院,南京 211166
  • 收稿日期:2023-08-23 修回日期:2023-11-08 出版日期:2024-01-20 发布日期:2023-12-05
  • 通讯作者: 周钢桥 E-mail:529897537@qq.com;15111174004@163.com;zhougq114@126.com
  • 作者简介:陈昱颖,硕士研究生,专业方向:基础医学。E-mail: 529897537@qq.com;|张倩,硕士研究生,专业方向:生物医学。E-mail: 15111174004@163.com;
    陈昱颖和张倩并列第一作者。
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金项目(82002573);国家自然科学基金项目(82172707);国家重点研发计划项目(2017YFA0504301)

PTBP1 promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by enhancing the oncogenic splicing switch of FGFR2

Yuying Chen1,2(), Qian Zhang3(), Menghui Gui4, Lan Feng2, Pengbo Cao2, Gangqiao Zhou1,2,4()   

  1. 1. Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
    2. State Key Lab of Medical Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences at Beijing, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
    3. National Facility for Translational Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
    4. School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
  • Received:2023-08-23 Revised:2023-11-08 Published:2024-01-20 Online:2023-12-05
  • Contact: Gangqiao Zhou E-mail:529897537@qq.com;15111174004@163.com;zhougq114@126.com
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(82002573);National Natural Science Foundation of China(82172707);National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFA0504301)

摘要:

肝细胞癌(hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC)是原发性肝癌的主要类型,是一种早期无明显症状、易发生转移、存活率低的恶性肿瘤。多聚嘧啶区结合蛋白1 (polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1,PTBP1)是一种重要的RNA结合蛋白,可诱导促癌剪接事件的发生。虽然PTBP1在肝癌细胞中的促癌功能已被证实,但是其介导的促癌可变剪接事件及作用机制尚未得到完全解析。本文利用免疫共沉淀联合质谱分析发现与PTBP1结合的蛋白复合体显著富集于编码成纤维细胞生长因子受体2 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 2,FGFR2)的基因可变剪接调控过程。通过RNA免疫共沉淀和定量PCR实验,证实PTBP1可显著下调肝癌细胞中FGFR2-IIIb异构体的水平,上调FGFR2-IIIc异构体的水平,促进FGFR2-IIIbFGFR2-IIIc的异构体转换。随后,通过CCK-8、transwell和平板克隆实验,在肝癌细胞系HepG2和Huh7中评价了FGFR2-IIIbFGFR2-IIIc的肿瘤生物学功能。结果显示FGFR2-IIIb发挥抑癌功能,而FGFR2-IIIc发挥促癌功能。机制研究证实,FGFR2-IIIbFGFR2-IIIc异构体的转换显著促进肝癌细胞的上皮-间充质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transformation,EMT)及FGFR下游ERK和AKT信号通路的活化。本研究揭示了PTBP1促进肝癌进展的分子调控机制,为肝癌的防治提供了新的理论依据。

关键词: 肝细胞癌, PTBP1, 可变剪接, FGFR2, 上皮-间充质转化

Abstract:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer accounting for 90% of cases. It is a highly invasive and deadly cancer with a gradual onset. Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1) is an important RNA-binding protein involved in RNA metabolism and has been linked to oncogenic splicing events. While the oncogenic role of PTBP1 in HCC cells has been established, the exact mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the functional connection between PTBP1 and dysregulated splicing events in HCC. Through immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analyses, we discovered that the proteins bound to PTBP1 were significantly enriched in the complex responsible for the alternative splicing of FGFR2 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 2). Further RNA immunoprecipitation and quantitative PCR assays confirmed that PTBP1 down-regulated the FGFR2-IIIb isoform levels and up-regulated the FGFR2-IIIc isoform levels in HCC cells, leading to a switch from FGFR2-IIIb to FGFR2-IIIc isoforms. Subsequent functional evaluations using CCK-8, transwell, and plate clone formation assays in HCC cell lines HepG2 and Huh7 demonstrated that FGFR2-IIIb exhibited tumor-suppressive effects, while FGFR2-IIIc displayed tumor-promoting effects. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the PTBP1-mediated alternative splicing mechanism in HCC progression, offering a new theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of this malignancy. Mechanistically, the isoform switch from FGFR2-IIIb to FGFR2-IIIc promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of HCC cells and activated the FGFR cascades ERK and AKT pathways.

Key words: hepatocellular carcinoma, PTBP1, alternative splicing, FGFR2, epithelial-mesenchymal