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RNF43/ZNRF3 loss predisposes to hepatocellular-carcinoma by impairing liver regeneration and altering the liver lipid metabolic ground-state.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Belenguer, Germán 
Mastrogiovanni, Gianmarco  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3281-8942

Abstract

RNF43/ZNRF3 negatively regulate WNT signalling. Both genes are mutated in several types of cancers, however, their contribution to liver disease is unknown. Here we describe that hepatocyte-specific loss of Rnf43/Znrf3 results in steatohepatitis and in increase in unsaturated lipids, in the absence of dietary fat supplementation. Upon injury, Rnf43/Znrf3 deletion results in defective hepatocyte regeneration and liver cancer, caused by an imbalance between differentiation/proliferation. Using hepatocyte-, hepatoblast- and ductal cell-derived organoids we demonstrate that the differentiation defects and lipid alterations are, in part, cell-autonomous. Interestingly, ZNRF3 mutant liver cancer patients present poorer prognosis, altered hepatic lipid metabolism and steatohepatitis/NASH signatures. Our results imply that RNF43/ZNRF3 predispose to liver cancer by controlling the proliferative/differentiation and lipid metabolic state of hepatocytes. Both mechanisms combined facilitate the progression towards malignancy. Our findings might aid on the management of those RNF43/ZNRF3 mutated individuals at risk of developing fatty liver and/or liver cancer.

Description

Keywords

Adult, Animals, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, Cell Differentiation, Cell Proliferation, Fatty Liver, Gene Deletion, Gene Expression Regulation, Hepatocytes, Hepatomegaly, Humans, Hyperplasia, Lipid Droplets, Lipid Metabolism, Lipidomics, Liver, Liver Neoplasms, Liver Regeneration, Mice, Prognosis, Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Journal Title

Nat Commun

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2041-1723
2041-1723

Volume Title

13

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (092096/Z/10/Z)
Cancer Research Uk (None)
Wellcome Trust (104151/Z/14/Z)
European Commission (608180)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Research Infrastructures (RI) (668350)