Transcriptomic profiling of intermediate cell carcinoma of the liver

Abstract

Background: Intermediate cell carcinoma (Int-CA) is a rare and enigmatic primary liver cancer characterized by uniform tumor cells exhibiting mixed features of both HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Despite the unique pathological features of int-CA, its molecular characteristics remain unclear yet. Methods: RNA sequencing and whole genome sequencing profiling were performed on int-CA tumors and compared with those of HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Results: Int-CAs unveiled a distinct and intermediate transcriptomic feature that is strikingly different from both HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The marked abundance of splicing events leading to intron retention emerged as a signature feature of int-CA, along with a prominent expression of Notch signaling. Further exploration revealed that METTL16 was suppressed within int-CA, showing a DNA copy number–dependent transcriptional deregulation. Notably, experimental investigations confirmed that METTL16 suppression facilitated invasive tumor characteristics through the activation of the Notch signaling cascade. Conclusions: Our results provide a molecular landscape of int-CA featured by METTL16 suppression and frequent intron retention events, which may play pivotal roles in the acquisition of the aggressive phenotype of Int-CA.