HBO1 overexpression is important for hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common primary liver malignancy lacking effective molecularly-targeted therapies. HBO1 (lysine acetyltransferase 7/KAT7) is a member of MYST histone acetyltransferase family. Its expression and potential function in HCC are studied. We show that HBO1 mRNA and protein expression is elevated in human HCC tissues and HCC cells. HBO1 expression is however low in cancer-surrounding normal liver tissues and hepatocytes. In HepG2 and primary human HCC cells, shRNA-induced HBO1 silencing or CRISPR/Cas9-induced HBO1 knockout potently inhibited cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, while provoking mitochondrial depolarization and apoptosis induction. Conversely, ectopic overexpression of HBO1 by a lentiviral construct augmented HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In vivo, xenografts-bearing HBO1-KO HCC cells grew significantly slower than xenografts with control HCC cells in severe combined immunodeficient mice. These results suggest HBO1 overexpression is important for HCC cell progression.