Abstract
HAb18G/CD147, a new hepatoma-associated antigen cloned and screened from human hepatocellular carcinoma cDNA library, is closely correlated with metastasis process in human hepatoma cells. In the present study we aimed to identify the pivotal molecules of the HAb18G/CD147 signal transduction pathway. The investigation showed that βig-h3, a secretory extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, was upregulated in HAb18G/CD147-expressing human hepatoma T7721 cells and was downregulated by depressing HAb18G/CD147 expression. The expression of βig-h3, upregulated in human hepatoma cells, was positively relative to the expression of HAb18G/CD147 in different human hepatoma cell lines. By overexpressing βig-h3 in human SMMC-7721 hepatoma cells, we discovered that βig-h3 promoted cell adhesion, invasion, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretion potential. HAb18G/CD147-induced invasion and metastasis potential of human hepatoma cells can be attenuated by antibodies specific for βig-h3, and no significant differences on inhibitory effects were observed among T7721 cells incubated with antibodies for βig-h3 or HAb18G/CD147 or both types together. Taken together, our study suggests that βig-h3, regulated by the expression of HAb18G/CD147, is involved in the HAb18G/CD147 signal transduction pathway and mediates the HAb18G/CD147-induced invasion and metastasis process of human hepatoma cells.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 344-352 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Experimental Biology and Medicine |
| Volume | 232 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Mar 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- βig-h3
- CD147
- HAb18G
- Hepatoma cell
- Metastasis