Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines
08:50

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines

Published on: April 18, 2025

1.0K

PHACTR4 regulates proliferation, migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting IL-6/Stat3

F Cao1, M Liu, Q-Z Zhang

  • 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zaozhuang Mining Group Central Hospital, Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province, China. zengqin_zhang@163.com.

European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences
|September 10, 2016
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Phosphatase and actin regulator 4 (PHACTR4) acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its decreased expression in HCC inhibits cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and the IL-6/Stat3 signaling pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Phosphatase and actin regulator 4 (PHACTR4) is part of the PHACTR protein family, known for binding protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and actin.
  • PHACTR4 alterations are observed in various cancers, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function and mechanism of PHACTR4 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to assess PHACTR4 expression in HCC tissues and cell lines.
  • Cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and invasion assays were performed using a PHACTR4-overexpressing HepG2 cell line.
  • The study examined the effect of PHACTR4 on the IL-6/Stat3 signaling pathway.

Main Results:

  • PHACTR4 expression was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues.
  • Overexpression of PHACTR4 suppressed HCC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion, leading to cell cycle arrest.
  • PHACTR4 attenuated IL-6-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) phosphorylation and inhibited Stat3 downstream gene expression.

Conclusions:

  • PHACTR4 functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC.
  • The tumor-suppressive role of PHACTR4 in HCC is mediated through the inhibition of the IL-6/Stat3 signaling pathway.

More Related Videos

Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome07:23

Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome

Published on: June 15, 2016

9.0K
Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants07:38

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

893

Related Concept Videos

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway01:20

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as  SH2...
13.6K
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a...
6.1K
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
7.7K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
5.4K
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors...
10.8K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
5.0K