Comprehensive transcriptomic characterization of hepatic expression signatures affected by guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) alpha 12 knockout

Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) transmit extracellular signals from cell surface G protein-coupled receptors to intracellular effector molecules. Of the G proteins, Gα12 has attracted particular interest as the gep oncogene in cancer research because it promotes the growth and oncogenic transformation of fibroblasts and is invoked in tumorigenesis. In our findings, Gα12 expression was higher in HCC than surrounding non-tumorous tissue. Results provide information on the role of Gα12 in HCC progression. cDNA microarrays analyses using liver samples obtained from WT and Gα12-knockout mice enabled us to extract the predominant processes affected by a deficiency of Gα12, which include cellular response to stress, cell proliferation, actin cytoskeleton organization, and cellular component biogenesis. Expression profiles of KO mice samples were compared to those of corresponding WT mice and differentially expressed genes were identified.