Pokemon promotes the invasiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma by enhancing MEF2D transcription
Authors: Xiaoping Liu
Jinsheng Wu
Jing Kong
Ning Wu
Xiangqian Li
Fang Fang
Jun Chen
Journal: Hepatology International (2016)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: HCC; MEF2D; Pokemon.
Affiliations: Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. ., Faculty of Life Science and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, 1 Meicheng Road East, Huai'an, 223003, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China., Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 6 Beijing Road West, Huai'an, 223300, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China., Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, Shandong, People's Republic of China.

Abstract:  Background: Pokemon, a master oncogene crucial for the tumorigenicity and progression of a variety of cancers, has been demonstrated to enhance the proliferation and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the contribution of Pokemon to the invasiveness of HCC has not yet been studied. Methods: In this study, we employed HCC cells to investigate the role of Pokemon in the invasion of HCC with multidisciplinary approaches. Results: Pokemon overexpression was found to be closely associated with invasion and intrahepatic metastasis of HCC in clinical specimens. Suppression of Pokemon attenuated the invasion of HCC cells by in vitro transwell and wound-healing assays. Myocyte enhancer factor 2D (MEF2D), an oncogene that can promote the invasiveness of HCC, was found to be underexpressed during Pokemon silencing in HCC cells. Restoration of MEF2D abolished the effect of Pokemon downregulation on the migration of HCC cells. Further experiments verified that Pokemon binds two putative recognition sites located within the upstream region of the MEF2D promoter and enhances its transcription. The association between Pokemon and MEF2D was further confirmed in HCC specimens. Animal experiments further confirmed that Pokemon downregulation attenuated the metastasis of HCC cells in mice. Conclusion: Collectively, Pokemon was found to enhance the migration and invasion of HCC by increasing MEF2D expression. Thus, targeting Pokemon and MEF2D may be an effective strategy to suppress the metastasis of HCC. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 2C appears to have a repeated image. *** Enhanced saturation ![file] *** Original ![file] *** Full figure ![file] , 
 In addition to the above potential error, could the authors help readers understand the relationship between their employer, u201cPatanjali Research Foundation Trust,u201d the yoga institute who provided the seeds, u201cPatanjali Yogpeeth,u201d (confusingly, u201cPatanjali Ayurveda Ltdu201d was instead acknowledged in the article text) and Param Shradhey Swami Ramdev Ji who appears to have founded all these institutions? A reader on social media suggests that some of these are affiliated entities which may suggest that the author disclosure in this paper may be misleading. From the paper: ![file] u201c**Acknowledgments** We are thankful to Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar for providing Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. seeds and to the Patanjali Ayurvedic Hospital, Haridwar (India) for providing blinded whole blood samples from healthy donors for the study. We also gratefully acknowledge UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Indore (India) for providing the facilities for AFM, XRD and Raman, and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun (India) for EDAX facility. The authors sincerely acknowledge Dr. L. N. Misra, Chief Research Advisor, Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar (India) for his suggestions and expert guidance in improving the quality of the paper. **Disclosure** The authors declare that they have no competing interests.u201d , 
 #2 The first author (Acharya Balkrishna) is affiliated to (1) Drug Discovery and Development Division, Patanjali Research Foundation Trust; and (2) University of Patanjali. There is an Acharya Balkrishna who is co-proprietor of the University of Patanjali (along with Swami Ramdev), and co-proprietor of the Patanjali Research Foundation Trust (along with Swami Ramdev)... also co-founder and CEO of Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd. So I am happy to believe that the affiliations are **correct**, even if incomplete. , 
 https: twitter.com thatsregrettab1 status 1365003657742196736?s=21 ,