Converging on DKK1 to drive metastasis

Cancer Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of liver cancer. The Wnt signaling protein Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are both associated with metastatic progression and poor prognosis in HCC patients. Niu et al. found that these molecular markers are linked. The activation of EGFR in HCC cells induced DKK1 expression through parallel pathways that promoted nuclear translocation of the kinase PKM2 and activation of the acetyltransferase p300. These pathways converged on modifying histone H3 at the DKK1 promoter to activate DKK1 transcription. Sci. Signal. 13 , eabb5727 (2020).