Abstract 6336: Non-canonical activation of Gli-2 by TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway in modulation of chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ding Jia , Li Hui-yan , Zhang Li , Zhou Xiao-tian , Wu Jian 
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated in our previous study that poorly-differentiated hepatoma cells with low α-feto-protein (AFP) expression and a CD133-/EpCAM- surface profile exhibited aberrant hedgehog signaling (Hh) activity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and chemoresistance. However, expression of canonical Hh molecules (Sonic ligand and SMO) was not increased in poorly-differentiated hepatoma cells in contrast to well-differentiated hepatoma cells, indicating that Hh transcription factors Gli-1/2 may be activated through a non-classic pathway. The present study aims to investigate whether the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway is responsible for Gli-2 activation through a non-canonical pathway.

METHODS: Expression of Sonic Hh (Shh) and Smad3 was assessed in both hepatoma cells and HCC specimens. Gli-2 and Smad3 expression was suppressed by lentiviral vector-mediated RNA interference in poorly-differentiated hepatoma Huh-7-DN and HLE cells. Chemosensitivity was evaluated in hepatoma cells with a Gli-2 or Smad3 inhibitor.

RESULTS: Significantly increased Gli-1 and Gli-2 protein levels were observed in 78% (11 out of 14) and 50% (7 out of 14) HCC specimens. In 7 HCC patients with a normal serum AFP value (&lt;20 μg/L), Gli-1/2 protein levels were obviously higher than their pericancerous tissue. Moreover, increased Gli-2 and ABCC1 protein levels were accompanied with increased TGF-β1 and p-Smad3 protein levels in 5 out 7 HCC specimens; whereas Shh protein levels were similar to paired pericancerous tissue. Consistent with the findings from HCC specimens, significantly higher Gli-2 and p-Smad3 nuclear protein levels were associated with increased ABCC1 protein levels in poorly-differentiated hepatoma cells (Huh-7-trans, Huh-7-DN, HLE and HLF); whereas Shh and SMO protein levels were not significantly different from well-differentiated hepatoma Huh-7 and Hep3B cells. Suppressing Gli-2 expression by specific shRNA caused marked decreased expression of Gli-2 and ABCC1 in Huh-7-DN, Huh-7-trans and HLE cells. In addition, expression of Smad3, Gli-2 and ABCC1 was significantly down-regulated in HLE cells after infected with a lentiviral vector harboring shSmad3, indicating that Gli-2 is a downstream target of Smad3. Sorafenib IC50 was significantly reduced from 35.76 to 17.45 μM or 14.04 μM in HLE cells when treated with a GLI inhibitor (GANT-61) or a Smad3 inhibitor (SIS3) at 5 μM. A potential GLI-binding site in the ABCC1 promoter was identified. ABCC1-Gli-luciferase reporter activity was increased up to 39-fold in HLE cells when transfected with constructs containing the potential GLI-binding site, compared to the construct that lacked a GLI-binding site.

CONCLUSION: TGF-β/Smad3 activated Gli-2 and its direct transcriptional target ABCC1 in poorly-differentiated and chemoresistant hepatoma cells. Suppressing TGF-β/Smad3/Gli-2 signaling activity confers a potential molecular target in partially alleviating Sorafenib resistance for the treatment of refractory hepatoma.

Citation Format: Jia Ding, Hui-yan Li, Li Zhang, Xiao-tian Zhou, Jian Wu. Non-canonical activation of Gli-2 by TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway in modulation of chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6336.