The histone acetyltransferase hMOF promotes vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Background & Aims Vascular invasion is a major prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously identified histone H4 acetylated on lysine 16 (H4K16ac), a histone modification involved in transcription activation, as a biomarker of microvascular invasion (mVI) in HCC. This study aimed to investigate the role of hMOF, the histone acetyltransferase responsible for H4K16 acetylation, in the process of vascular invasion in HCC. Methods hMOF expression was assessed by RT‐qPCR and immunohistochemistry in a retrospective series of HCC surgical samples, and correlated with the presence of mVI. The functional role of hMOF in HCC vascular invasion was investigated in vitro in HCC cell lines using siRNA, transcriptomic analysis and transwell invasion assay, and in vivo using a Zebrafish embryo xenograft model. Results We found that hMOF was significantly up‐regulated at the protein level in HCC with mVI, compared with HCC without mVI (p in vivo. Conclusions Altogether, these results underpin a critical role for hMOF in vascular invasion in HCC, via transcription activation of key genes involved in this process. These data confirm the major role of epigenetic alterations in HCC progression, and pave the way for future therapies targeting hMOF in HCC.