NRBP2 Overexpression Increases the Chemosensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Akt Signaling.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is highly resistant to chemotherapy. Research data supported that cancer stem cells (CSC) may be responsible for the chemoresistance and strategies that suppress CSCs stemness could also inhibit the drug resistance. In this study, we found that nuclear receptor binding protein 2 (NRBP2) expression was downregulated in the CD133+ hepatocellular carcinoma CSCs. Most adjacent noncancerous liver tissue analyzed expressed higher level of NRBP2 compared with cancerous tissue in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and high NRBP2 expression indicated a better prognosis. Real-time PCR results showed that NRBP2 negatively correlated with stemness-related genes, including Oct3/4, Nanog, Notch1, Ep300, and CD133 mRNA expression. High NRBP2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma cells downregulated CK19 protein expression, inhibited tumorsphere formation, and tumorigenesis ability, indicating that high NRBP2 expression restrains the hepatocellular carcinoma cell stemness. Overexpression of NRBP2 reduced the IC50 of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and NRBP2 expression was negatively correlated with hepatocellular carcinoma cell resistance to the chemotherapy agents, including cisplatin and the Akt signaling inhibitor perifosine. Coimmunoprecipitation results showed that NRBP2 could bind with Annexin A2 (ANXA2) and inhibit ANXA2 expression. Coexpression of ANXA2 restored the chemoresistant ability in NRBP2-overexpressing hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Further analysis showed that NRBP2 downregulated Akt and its downstream signaling target Bad phosphorylation level. ANXA2 coexpression partially restored the Akt phosphorylation. Analysis of the expression of Bcl2 family proteins showed that NRBP2 may increase hepatocellular carcinoma cell chemosensitivity by regulating expression of survival proteins involved in the Akt and Bcl2 pathway. These results suggest that NRBP2 plays an important role in the tumor progression and chemotherapeutic resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Res; 76(23); 7059-71. ©2016 AACR.