Autophagy induces transforming growth factor-β-dependent epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocarcinoma cells through cAMP response element binding signalling.

ABSTRACT: Autophagy promotes invasion of hepatocarcinoma cells through transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-dependent epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study investigated the mechanism by which autophagy induces TGF-β-triggered EMT and invasion of hepatocarcinoma cells. Autophagy was induced in HepG2 and BEL7402 cells by starvation in Hank's balanced salt solution. Induction of autophagy degraded phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4A and increased intracellular cAMP, PKA activity and PKA phosphorylation, resulting in increased cAMP response element binding (CREB) phosphorylation in hepatocarcinoma cells. Autophagy-induced activation of cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling further enhanced TGF-β1 expression, downregulated the expression of epithelial markers and upregulated the expression of mesenchymal markers,

SUBMITTER: Hu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6201351 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature