Disruption of FBXL5-mediated cellular iron homeostasis promotes liver carcinogenesis

Hepatic iron overload is a risk factor for progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), although the molecular mechanisms underlying this association have remained unclear. We now show that the iron-sensing ubiquitin ligase FBXL5 is previously unrecognized oncosuppressor in liver carcinogenesis in mice. Hepatocellular iron overload evoked by FBXL5 ablation gives rise to oxidative stress, tissue damage, inflammation and compensatory proliferation in hepatocytes and to consequent promotion of liver carcinogenesis induced by exposure to a chemical carcinogen. The tumor-promoting effect of FBXL5 deficiency in the liver is also operative in a model of virus-induced HCC. FBXL5-deficient mice thus constitute the first genetically engineered mouse model of liver carcinogenesis induced by iron overload. Dysregulation of FBXL5-mediated cellular iron homeostasis was also found to be associated with poor prognosis in human HCC, implicating FBXL5 plays a significant role in defense against hepatocarcinogenesis. Overall design: Total RNA was extracted from the nontumor and tumor tissue of an Alb-Cre/Fbxl5F/F male mouse (nontumor, n = 5; tumor, n = 5) or two littermate control Fbxl5F/F mice (nontumor, n = 6; tumor, n = 6) at 45 weeks of age.

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Muto Y, Moroishi T, Ichihara K, Nishiyama M, Shimizu H, Eguchi H, Moriya K, Koike K, Mimori K, Mori M, Katayama Y, Nakayama KI