PUBLICATION

Inducible and repressable oncogene-addicted hepatocellular carcinoma in Tet-on xmrk transgenic zebrafish

Authors
Li, Z., Huang, X., Zhan, H., Zeng, Z., Li, C., Spitsbergen, J.M., Meierjohann, S., Schartl, M., and Gong, Z.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110907-29
Date
2012
Source
Journal of hepatology   56(2): 419-425 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Gong, Zhiyuan, Li, Zhen, Schartl, Manfred, Spitsbergen, Jan, Zeng, Zhiqiang, Zhan, Huiqing
Keywords
liver, EGFR, cancer, tumor regression
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Apoptosis/drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation/drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Doxycycline/administration & dosage
  • Female
  • Fish Proteins/genetics*
  • Gene Expression
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics*
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System
  • Male
  • Oncogenes*/drug effects
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/genetics*
  • Recombinant Proteins/genetics
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor/metabolism
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
PubMed
21888874 Full text @ J. Hepatol.
Abstract

Background & aims

Liver cancer, mainly hepatocellular carcinoma, is a major malignancy and currently there are no effective treatment protocols due to insufficient understanding of hepatocarcinogenesis. As a potentially high-throughput and cost-effective experimental model, the zebrafish is increasingly recognized for diseases studies. Here we aim at using the zebrafish to generate a convenient hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methods

Using the Tet-on system for liver-specific expression of fish oncogene xmrk, a hyperactive version of epidermal growth factor receptor homolog, we have generated transgenic zebrafish with inducible development of liver cancer.

Results

Liver tumors were rapidly induced with 100% penetrance in both juvenile and adult xmrk transgenic fish. Histological examination indicated that they all showed features of hepatocellular carcinoma. The induced liver tumors regressed rapidly upon inducer withdrawal. During the tumor induction stage, we detected increased cell proliferation and activation of Xmrk downstream targets Erk and Stat5, which were important for liver tumorigenesis as proved by inhibition experiments. When the tumors regressed, there were decreased phosphorylated Erk and Stat5 accompanied with an increase of apoptosis,

Conclusions

Our zebrafish model demonstrates the potential of a hyperactivated epidermal growth factor receptor pathway in initiating heptocarcinogenesis. It provides clear evidence for the requirement of only a single oncogene for HCC initiation and maintenance and is thus a convenient model for further investigation of oncogene addiction and future anti-cancer drug screening.

Genes / Markers
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