Liver CSCs are a rare subpopulation of heterogenous liver cancer cells with self-renewal and differentiation properties, which has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. Compelling data shows that NK cells selectively eliminate human cancer derived CSCs like colorectal carcinoma, melanoma, and glioblastoma. But the effect of NK cells on liver CSCs still remains unknown. To study the cytotoxic effect of NK cells on liver CSCs and the mechanism, we performed cytotoxicity assay, ELISA assays, CRISPRi, qRT-PCR, immunoblotting, RNA immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter using two types of CSCs reprogrammed from HCC. CSCs derived from liver cancer were susceptible to NK cell mediated cytotoxicity. The susceptibility of liver CSCs to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity declined significantly after silencing CD44 by CRISPRi-mediated gene knockdown. CD44 3ʹ UTR functioned as a ceRNA to regulate the expression of ULBP2 mainly by competing miR-34a. CD44 3ʹ UTR functioned as a ceRNA to enhance NK sensitivity of liver cancer stem cell by regulating ULBP2 expression.

Liver cancer cells can be reprogrammed into induced cancer stem cells (iCSCs) by exogenous expression of the reprogramming transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc (OSKM). The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is essential for reprogramming somatic cells. In this study, we investigated the function of NuRD in the induction of liver CSCs. We showed that suppression of methyl-CpG binding domain protein 3 (MBD3), a core subunit of the NuRD repressor complex, together with OSKM transduction, induces conversion of liver cancer cells into stem-like cells. Expression of the transcription factor c-JUN is increased in MBD3-depleted iCSCs, and c-JUN activates endogenous pluripotent genes and regulates iCSC-related genes. These results indicate that MBD3/NuRD inhibits the induction of iCSCs, while c-JUN facilitates the generation of CSC-like properties. The iCSC reprogramming approach devised here provides a novel platform for dissection of the disordered signaling in liver CSCs. In addition, our results indicate that c-JUN may serve as a potential target for liver cancer therapy.

Pescadillo (PES1) is a key molecule for ribosome formation in mammalian cells. In this study, human hepatoma C3A cells were reprogrammed by four transcription factors, Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c‐Myc, into induced cancer stem cells, termed C3A‐induced cancer stem cells (C3A‐iCSCs). We found that PES1 was up‐regulated in C3A‐iCSCs and promoted cell proliferation. Moreover, the cancer stem cell marker CD44, which is located in the cytomembrane, translocated to the nucleus and was up‐regulated in C3A‐iCSCs. Our results suggest that CD44 has a negative effect on miR‐105‐5p. We found that PES1 is a direct target of, and was negatively regulated by, miR‐105‐5p. In summary, CD44 regulates PES1 in liver cancer stem cells via miR‐105‐5p to promote cell growth.

CD44 is one of biomarkers of liver cancer stem cells (CSCs). The investigation of mechanism of CD44 translocation helps to uncover new molecular pathways participated in the regulation of various cellular processes in CSCs. In the present study, we observed the translocation of CD44 from cytoplasm to nuclear in the reprogramming process of C3A cells, full-length CD44 presented in the nucleus of liver iCSCs. CD44 was bound with importin β and transportin 1 in liver iCSCs. Inhibition of importin β transport leads to reduction of CD44 in the nucleus. Translocation of CD44 is also influenced by importin α. Besides, overexpression of naïve pluripotent genes, KLF2, KLF5, DNMT3L, GBX2, ZFP42, ESRRB and DPPA4 were found in liver iCSCs. Inhibition of CD44 leads to the reduction of these naïve genes. Luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays further identified nuclear CD44 bound to the promoter regions of naïve genes, KLF2, KLF5, and ESRRB functioned as transcriptional activators in liver iCSCs. Our present work provides new insight into the dynamic states and functions of CD44 in iCSCs.

As a non-ligand-dependent activation protein, EGFRvIII is the most common mutant of EGFR, and its existence or especially its nuclear translocation in tumors can exacerbate the malignancy. Compared with the nuclear translocation of EGFR, which has been studied extensively, the specific mechanism by which EGFRvIII undergoes nuclear translocation has not yet been reported. Here, we found that EGFRvIII eventually reached the nucleus with the involvement of the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in glioma cells. In this process, syntaxin-6 was responsible for the identification and transport of EGFRvIII on Golgi. We also demonstrated that COPI mediated the reverse transport of EGFRvIII from the Golgi to ER, which process was also important for EGFRvIII's nuclear accumulation. EGFRvIII's nuclear translocation can significantly promote STAT3 phosphorylation and PKM2 nuclear localization. Finally, we showed that EGFRvIII's nuclear translocation obviously induced the growth of gliomas in an intracranial xenotransplantation experiment. These data suggested that searching methods that inhibit EGFRvIII entry into the nucleus will be effective glioma treatments.