Depletion of Pokemon Gene Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth through Inhibition of H-ras

Background: Pokemon is a transcription repressor which plays a critical role in cell transformation and malignancy. However, little is known about its effect on the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Pokemon in human HCC tissues and the biological behavior of Pokemon in HCC cells in which it is overexpressed. We also explored the expression of potential downstream cofactors of Pokemon. Materials and Methods: Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis were used to investigate the expression of Pokemon in tissues of 30 HCC patients. We then examined cell proliferation or apoptosis and beta-catenin or H-ras expression in Pokemon-depleted HepG(2) cells using DNA vector-based RNA interference technology. Results: Pokemon was markedly expressed in 22/30 (73.3%) HCC tissues, with expression levels higher than in adjacent normal liver tissues (p < 0.05); expression is correlated with tumor size. In contrast, depletion of Pokemon inhibited proliferation of HepG(2) or induced apoptosis. Also, H-ras expression decreased to a large extent. Conclusions: Pokemon exerts its oncogenic activity in the development of HCC by promoting cancer cell growth and reducing apoptosis, and the effect may be mediated by H-ras.