HBX-mediated migration of HBV-replicating HepG2 cells: insights on development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitus B virus (HBV) is a major cause of the development of hepatpcellular carcinoma (HCC). One of the significant characteristics of tumor progression is cell migration which is reflective of cytoskeletal dynamics. The Rho GTPases contribute to a multiple cellular processes, including the cellular cytoskeletal reorganization and motility. It has been found that some Rho GTPases have oncogenic activity and can promote cancer cell invasion. Here we discuss one of the Rho GTPases, Rac1 can be activated by HBV replication and such activation results in the high motility of HBV-replicating cells. The enhanced cell motility can be interestingly alleviated by the mutation at the sites of proline rich domain located in HBX. Our findings may provide new insights on the mechanism of HCC development associated with chronic HBV infection.