Inhibition of DJ-1 degradation by TrkB promotes the progression and maintenance of traits of cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Although TrkB may be associated with the pathogenesis of various cancer by upregulation, how upregulation of TrkB led to tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the signaling mechanisms by which TrkB induces motility, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and acquisition of self-renewal traits have remained unclear. Here, we demonstrated that TrkB was significantly upregulated in highly metastatic HCC cells and HCC patients. Also, increased TrkB levels were significantly correlated with tumor stages and poor survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, upregulated TrkB expression enhances the metastatic ability of HCC cells through reduced anoikis sensitivity, induced migration, colony formation. Most strikingly, TrkB markedly enhances the activation of STAT3 by preventing DJ-1 degradation through the formation of the TrkB/DJ-1 complex. This signaling mechanism is responsible for triggering cellular traits of highly aggressive HCC. The activation of the EMT program of HCC via increasing DJ-1 stability by TrkB induces the gain of cancer stem cell states and chemoresistance via the upregulation of stem cells cell markers and ABC transporters. Also, TrkB-mediated inhibition of DJ-1 degradation promotes tumor formation and metastasizes to other organs in vivo. Our observations illustrate that TrkB is a prognostic and therapeutic targeting in promoting aggressiveness and metastasis of HCC.