Volume 15, Issue 5 e70362
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access

Coordination of SLC39A1 and DRP1 facilitates HCC recurrence by impairing mitochondrial quality control

Rui Li

Rui Li

Department of Pharmacology, Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities for Vascular Homeostasis and Diseases, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

SUSTech Homeostatic Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

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Zhe Wang

Zhe Wang

Department of Pharmacology, Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities for Vascular Homeostasis and Diseases, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

SUSTech Homeostatic Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

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Lixin Cheng

Lixin Cheng

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen People's Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen, China

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Zhiqiang Cheng

Zhiqiang Cheng

Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

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Qiong Wu

Qiong Wu

School of Basic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China

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Fengjuan Chen

Fengjuan Chen

Department of Hepatopathy, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of the Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China

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Dong Ji

Corresponding Author

Dong Ji

Senior Department of Hepatology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China

Correspondence

Yijin Wang, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088, Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Email: [email protected]

Qingxian Cai, Department of Hepatopathy, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 29, Buji Bulan Road, Longgang District 518038, Shenzhen, China.

Email: [email protected]

Dong Ji, Senior Department of Hepatology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 100, West Fourth Ring Road, Fengtai District 100039, Beijing, China.

Email: [email protected]

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Qingxian Cai

Corresponding Author

Qingxian Cai

Department of Hepatopathy, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Correspondence

Yijin Wang, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088, Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Email: [email protected]

Qingxian Cai, Department of Hepatopathy, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 29, Buji Bulan Road, Longgang District 518038, Shenzhen, China.

Email: [email protected]

Dong Ji, Senior Department of Hepatology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 100, West Fourth Ring Road, Fengtai District 100039, Beijing, China.

Email: [email protected]

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Yijin Wang

Corresponding Author

Yijin Wang

Department of Pharmacology, Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities for Vascular Homeostasis and Diseases, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

SUSTech Homeostatic Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Correspondence

Yijin Wang, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088, Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District 518055, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Email: [email protected]

Qingxian Cai, Department of Hepatopathy, the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 29, Buji Bulan Road, Longgang District 518038, Shenzhen, China.

Email: [email protected]

Dong Ji, Senior Department of Hepatology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 100, West Fourth Ring Road, Fengtai District 100039, Beijing, China.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 03 June 2025

Rui Li and Zhe Wang contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Background

Despite rapid advances in HCC therapy, surgical resection is still the most effective treatment. However, postoperative relapse develops in a large population and the mechanism remains to be explored.

Methods

HCC resection samples were retrospectively collected from 12 nonrelapsed and 15 relapsed HCC patients for RNA sequencing. Liver-specific solute carrier family 39 member 1 (SLC39A1) knockout mice were generated by crossing Alb-Cre mice and SLC39A1flox/flox mice. Liver samples were examined for inflammation, fibrosis, proliferation, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial mass, autophagy, ROS, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), were detected. Co-immunoprecipitation and molecular docking were used to identify protein interactions.

Results

SLC39A1 is highly expressed in relapsed HCC patients and negatively correlated with overall survival. Knockdown of SLC39A1 inhibited cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle and promoted cell apoptosis, accompanied by suppressing autophagic flux. Mechanistically, SLC39A1 interacts with a member of the dynamin superfamily of GTPases dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), followed by facilitating mitochondrial fission and MMP reduction. Inhibition of DRP1 abolished SLC39A1-induced mitochondrial division and MMP depolarization, while overexpression of DRP1 reversed mitochondrial fusion and MMP hyperpolarization in SLC39A1 silenced cells, accompanied by recuperative cell proliferative ability. SLC39A1flox/flox,Alb-Cre mice displayed fewer tumour numbers and less liver damage compared with SLC39A1flox/flox mice. A specific peptide targeting SLC39A1 to disturb the combination of full-length SLC39A1 and DRP1 efficiently suppressed HCC progression.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal a key role of SLC39A1-DRP1 interaction in HCC progression by disturbing mitochondrial quality control and providing a competitive peptide as a potential anti-tumour therapy.

Key points

  • SLC39A1 correlates with HCC recurrence and HCC mortality.
  • Interaction of SLC39A1 and DRP1 facilitates HCC by regulating mitochondrial quality control.
  • Specific peptide targeting SLC39A1 efficiently prevents HCC progression.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this article. The data from the RNA sequencing analysis used in this research can be found in the National Genomics Data Center (PRJCA004993) and the GEO database (GSE268875).

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