Matrix‑stiffness‑triggered mechanotransduction fuels hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation through Hippo‑orchestrated ANKRD1‑PRMT5 complex‑driven arginine methylome remodeling
7 affiliations
- 1Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
- 2Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Chinese Medicines and Natural Medicines, Department of Hepatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- 3NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Hangzhou 310003, China
- 4Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China
- 5Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China
- 6The Affiliated LiHuiLi Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo 315046, Zhejiang, China
- 7Edinburgh University Joint Institute, Zhejiang University, Haining 314400, Zhejiang, China
Abstract
Background: Stiffened extracellular matrix is a primary risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to investigate the mechanism by which matrix stiffness promotes malignant proliferation and develop an experimental therapeutic strategy for HCC.
Methods: CCl4-induced and ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 4 (Abcb4)-/- spontaneous liver-fibrosis mouse models were used to validate the tumour-promoting effect of matrix stiffness in HCC. Polyacrylamide gel was used to simulate matrix with varying stiffness. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), in vitro proliferation assays, and in vivo tumour models were used to elucidate the role of mechanically responsive protein ankyrin repeat domain protein 1 (ANKRD1) in HCC. Biochemical assays were performed to reveal the interaction between ANKRD1 and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm the pattern of transcriptional regulation. The anti-tumour efficiency of Hippo pathway inhibitors and the PRMT5 inhibitor was evaluated in vitro and in vivo.
Results: Analysis of human hepatic fibrosis index, fibrotic mice bearing HCC, and polyacrylamide gel-based soft matrix culture model demonstrated that a stiff microenvironment promoted HCC progression. RNA-seq of HCC cells cultured on varying stiffness conditions identified ANKRD1 as a target for mechanical signaling, which was further validated in human HCC tissue samples at both RNA and protein levels. Gene function analysis revealed that ANKRD1 promoted HCC progression, which partially mediated stiffness-associated malignant proliferation. Mechanistically, protein-protein interaction assays and quantitative post-translational modification assays proved the interaction between the C-terminus of ANKRD1 and PRMT5, which promoted the cytoplasmic localization of PRMT5 and arginine methylome remodeling. Furthermore, inhibitors of the Hippo pathway decreased ANKRD1 expression and sensitized HCC cells to PRMT5 inhibitor LLY-283 in both an in vitro cytotoxicity assay and a murine fibrotic HCC model.
Conclusions: ANKRD1 is a mechanically responsive protein that promotes the proliferation of HCC cells by regulating PRMT5 activity. The combination of Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator/tafazzin (YAP/TAZ) inhibitors and a PRMT5 inhibitor is a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC patients with a stiffened tumour microenvironment.
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BibTeX
@article{huang2026matrixstiffnesstriggered,
title = {{Matrix‑stiffness‑triggered mechanotransduction fuels hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation through Hippo‑orchestrated ANKRD1‑PRMT5 complex‑driven arginine methylome remodeling}},
author = {Jia-Cheng Huang and Bao-Dong Chen and Yuan Xu and Si-Jie Zheng and Yi-Qing Hu and Cai-Xu Pan and Li-Zhu Zhu and Ying Chi and Meng-Lan Wang and Fei Wang and Yi-Xin Hua and Peng-Yu Gong and Jian-Xiang Chen and Shu-Sen Zheng and Yi-Ting Qiao},
journal = {Military Medical Research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.mmr.2026.100075},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mmr.2026.100075},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Matrix‑stiffness‑triggered mechanotransduction fuels hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation through Hippo‑orchestrated ANKRD1‑PRMT5 complex‑driven arginine methylome remodeling
AU - Jia-Cheng Huang
AU - Bao-Dong Chen
AU - Yuan Xu
AU - Si-Jie Zheng
AU - Yi-Qing Hu
AU - Cai-Xu Pan
AU - Li-Zhu Zhu
AU - Ying Chi
AU - Meng-Lan Wang
AU - Fei Wang
AU - Yi-Xin Hua
AU - Peng-Yu Gong
AU - Jian-Xiang Chen
AU - Shu-Sen Zheng
AU - Yi-Ting Qiao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/24
JO - Military Medical Research
DO - 10.1016/j.mmr.2026.100075
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mmr.2026.100075
AB - Background: Stiffened extracellular matrix is a primary risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to investigate the mechanism by which matrix stiffness promotes malignant proliferation and develop an experimental therapeutic strategy for HCC. Methods: CCl4-induced and ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 4 (Abcb4)-/- spontaneous liver-fibrosis mouse models were used to validate the tumour-promoting effect of matrix stiffness in HCC. Polyacrylamide gel was used to simulate matrix with varying stiffness. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), in vitro proliferation assays, and in vivo tumour models were used to elucidate the role of mechanically responsive protein ankyrin repeat domain protein 1 (ANKRD1) in HCC. Biochemical assays were performed to reveal the interaction between ANKRD1 and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm the pattern of transcriptional regulation. The anti-tumour efficiency of Hippo pathway inhibitors and the PRMT5 inhibitor was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results: Analysis of human hepatic fibrosis index, fibrotic mice bearing HCC, and polyacrylamide gel-based soft matrix culture model demonstrated that a stiff microenvironment promoted HCC progression. RNA-seq of HCC cells cultured on varying stiffness conditions identified ANKRD1 as a target for mechanical signaling, which was further validated in human HCC tissue samples at both RNA and protein levels. Gene function analysis revealed that ANKRD1 promoted HCC progression, which partially mediated stiffness-associated malignant proliferation. Mechanistically, protein-protein interaction assays and quantitative post-translational modification assays proved the interaction between the C-terminus of ANKRD1 and PRMT5, which promoted the cytoplasmic localization of PRMT5 and arginine methylome remodeling. Furthermore, inhibitors of the Hippo pathway decreased ANKRD1 expression and sensitized HCC cells to PRMT5 inhibitor LLY-283 in both an in vitro cytotoxicity assay and a murine fibrotic HCC model. Conclusions: ANKRD1 is a mechanically responsive protein that promotes the proliferation of HCC cells by regulating PRMT5 activity. The combination of Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator/tafazzin (YAP/TAZ) inhibitors and a PRMT5 inhibitor is a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC patients with a stiffened tumour microenvironment.
SN - 2095-7467
SN - 2054-9369
ER -