TNF-α Induces URG-4/URGCP Gene Expression in Hepatoma Cells through Starvation Dependent Manner


Tokay E., Sagkan R. I., Kockar F.

Biochemical Genetics, vol.59, no.1, pp.300-314, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 59 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10528-020-09972-z
  • Journal Name: Biochemical Genetics
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Veterinary Science Database
  • Page Numbers: pp.300-314
  • Keywords: Hep3B, Pathway, Serum induced, Serum starved, TNF-α, URG-4/URGCP
  • Uşak University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

URG-4/URGCP is a gene that may be associated with the onset of tumorigenesis and cell cycle regulation. In the literature, there is no study about inflammatory cytokine-mediated URG-4/URGCP regulation. In this study, the effect of TNF-α cytokine was investigated on URG-4/URGCP expression in serum-starved and serum-cultured hepatoma cells. The effect of TNF-α on hepatoma cells was shown using MTT and Annexin-V/PI staining with flow cytometer analyses. As a result, TNF-α leads to the cytotoxicity of hepatoma cells in serum-starved condition whereas no decrease was detected from serum-cultured condition. TNF-α-mediated URG-4/URGCP expression was determined at mRNA and protein level with qRT-PCR analyses and Western blotting method. URG-4URGCP mRNA expression was upregulated in both serum-starved and serum-cultured hepatoma cells. The transfection studies were carried out with URG-4/URGCP promoter constructs for determining the transcriptional activity. TNF-α caused to the upregulation of the activities of URG/URGCP promoter constructs. The basal activities of the URG-4/URGCP promoter conditions are differential according to serum conditions. In addition, some pathway inhibitors were added into hepatoma cells for blocking specific pathways to find out TNF-α-mediated URG-4/URGCP upregulation at mRNA and protein level. TNF-α used JNK and PI3K pathways for regulating URG-4/URGCP gene at serum-starved Hep3B cells. In serum-cultured condition, wortmannin (PI3K inhibitor), MEK-1 (MAPK inhibitor), and SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) did not inhibit the activation response of TNF-α on URGCP.