EpCAM inhibits differentiation of human liver progenitor cells into hepatocytes in  vitro by activating Notch1 signaling.

EpCAM inhibits differentiation of human liver progenitor cells into hepatocytes in vitro by activating Notch1 signaling. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020 Feb 19;: Authors: Tang D, Chen Y, Fu GB, Yuan TJ, Huang WJ, Wang ZY, Li WJ, Jiao YF, Yu WF, Yan HX Abstract In both normal turnover of the hepatic tissue and acute hepatic injury, the liver predominantly activates terminally differentiated hepatocytes to proliferate and repair. However, in chronic and severe chronic injury, this capacity fails, and liver progenitor cells (LPCs) can give rise to hepatocytes to restore both hepatic architecture and liver metabolic function. Although the promotion of LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation to acquire a considerable number of functional hepatocytes could serve as a potentially new therapeutic option for patients with end-stage liver disease, its development first requires the identification of the molecular mechanisms driving this process. Here, we found that the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a progenitor cell marker, regulates the differentiation of LPCs into hepatocytes through Notch1 signaling pathway. Western blotting (WB) revealed a consistent expression pattern of EpCAM and Notch1 during LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation in vitro. Additionally, overexpression of EpCAM blocked LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation, which was in consistent with the repressive role of Notch signaling during hepatic differentiation. WB and immuno...
Source: Biochemical and Biophysical Research communications - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Biochem Biophys Res Commun Source Type: research