PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Haibo Han
AU  - Yantao Du
AU  - Zhiqian Zhang
AU  - Zhao Wei
TI  - Twist Promotes the Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
AID  - 10.1007/s11805-009-0313-6
DP  - 2009 Oct 01
TA  - Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
PG  - 313--316
VI  - 6
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/6/5/313.short
4100  - http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/6/5/313.full
SO  - Cancer Biol Med2009 Oct 01; 6
AB  - OBJECTIVE To study the effect of the Twist gene on the migration of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the possible mechanisms involved.METHODS RT-PCR was used to detect expression of the Twist gene in primary (Hep11) and recurrent (Hep12) cell lines from the same HCC patient. Hep11 cells were stably transfected with Twist-cDNA, and Hep12 cells were transiently transfected with Twist RNAi plasmid. Cell migration assays were performed on Twist up-regulated Hep11 cells and Twist RNAi Hep12 cells. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to test the expression of EMT markers.RESULTS Twist was expressed higher level and had increased migration capability in recurrent Hep12 cells than those in primary Hep11 cells. Cell models (Twist-Hep11) in which Twist protein was steadily and highly expressed were obtained. Compared with pcDNA3-Hep11 cells, migration of Twist-Hep11 cells was clearly increased. However, migration of Twist RNAi (Si-Twist-Hep12) Hep12 cells were reduced. Overexpression of Twist in Hep11 cells promoted expression of N-cad and vimentin.CONCLUSION These results indicate that Twist promotes the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and may play an important role in the upregulation of mesenchymal markers.