Ficolin-3 may act as a tumour suppressor by recognising O-GlcNAcylation site in hepatocellular carcinoma

In hepatocellular carcinoma we often observe that the hexosamine-biosynthesis pathway (HBP) is activated and if the protein O-GlcNAcylation (O-GlcNAc) is elevated this often signifies a poor prognosis for HCC disease. The expression of ficolin-3 (FCN3)-a pattern-recognition molecule that can bind carbohydrates-is significantly down-regulated in HCC. Review of the current literature and the results of our bioinformatics analysis suggested that FCN3 recognises the O-GlcNAc site in cancer cells and acts as a tumour suppressor in HCC. Therefore, FCN3 may protect against HCC by binding and neutralising the O-GlcNAc moieties; thus, upregulating FCN3 expression may be a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.