Glucocorticoids (GC) are a cornerstone of combination therapies for multiple myeloma. However, patients ultimately develop resistance to GCs frequently based on decreased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression. An understanding of the direct targets of GC actions, which induce cell death, is expected to culminate in potential therapeutic strategies for inducing cell death by regulating downstream targets in the absence of a functional GR. The specific goal of our research is to identify primary GR targets that contribute to GC-induced cell death, with the ultimate goal of developing novel therapeutics around these targets that can be used to overcome resistance to GCs in the absence of GR. Using the MM.1S glucocorticoid-sensitive human myeloma cell line, we began with the broad platform of gene expression profiling to identify glucocorticoid-regulated genes further refined by combination treatment with phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase inhibition (PI3Ki). To further refine the search to distinguish direct and indirect targets of GR that respond to the combination GC and PI3Ki treatment of MM.1S cells, we integrated 1) gene expression profiles of combination GC treatment with PI3Ki, which induces synergistic cell death; 2) negative correlation between genes inhibited by combination treatment in MM.1S cells and genes over-expressed in myeloma patients to establish clinical relevance and 3) GR chromatin immunoprecipitation with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-Seq) in myeloma cells to identify global chromatin binding for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Using established bioinformatics platforms, we have integrated these data sets to identify a subset of candidate genes that may form the basis for a comprehensive picture of glucocorticoid actions in multiple myeloma. As a proof of principle, we have verified two targets, namely RRM2 and BCL2L1, as primary functional targets of GR involved in GC-induced cell death.

The physiological functions of vitamin D are mediated by its metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) activating the transcription factor vitamin D receptor (VDR). In THP-1 human monocytes we demonstrated epigenome-wide effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 at 8979 loci with significantly modulated chromatin accessibility. Maximal chromatin opening was observed after 24 h, while after 48 h most sites closed again. The chromatin-organizing protein CTCF bound to 14% of the 1,25(OH)2D3-sensitive chromatin regions. Interestingly, 1,25(OH)2D3 affected the chromatin association of CTCF providing an additional mechanism for the epigenome-wide effects of the VDR ligand. The 1,25(OH)2D3-modulated transcriptome of THP-1 cells comprised 1284 genes, 77.5% of which responded only 24 h after stimulation. During the 1,25(OH)2D3 stimulation time course the proportion of down-regulated genes increased from 0% to 44.9% and the top-ranking physiological function of the respective genes shifted from anti-microbial response to connective tissue disorders. The integration of epigenomic and transcriptomic data identified 165 physiologically important 1,25(OH)2D3 target genes, including HTT and NOD2, whose expression can be predicted primarily from epigenomic data of their genomic loci. Taken together, a large number of 1,25(OH)2D3-triggered epigenome-wide events precede and accompany the transcriptional activation of target genes of the nuclear hormone.

Autoimmune response to cardiac troponin I (TnI) induces inflammation and fibrosis in the myocardium. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a multifunctional protein that exerts proinflammatory activity by mainly binding to receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). The involvement of the HMGB1-RAGE axis in the pathogenesis of inflammatory cardiomyopathy is yet not fully understood. Using the well-established model of TnI-induced experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), we demonstrated that both local and systemic HMGB1 protein expression was elevated in wild-type (wt) mice after TnI immunization. Additionally, pharmacological inhibition of HMGB1 using glycyrrhizin or anti-HMGB1 antibody reduced inflammation in hearts of TnI-immunized wt mice. Furthermore, RAGE knockout (RAGE-ko) mice immunized with TnI showed no structural or physiological signs of cardiac impairment. Moreover, cardiac overexpression of HMGB1 using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors induced inflammation in the hearts of both wt and RAGE-ko mice. Finally, patients with myocarditis displayed increased local and systemic HMGB1 and soluble RAGE (sRAGE) expression. Together, our study highlights that HMGB1 and its main receptor, RAGE, appear to be crucial factors in the pathogenesis of TnI-induced EAM, because inhibition of HMGB1 and ablation of RAGE suppressed inflammation in the heart. Moreover, the proinflammatory effect of HMGB1 is not necessarily dependent on RAGE only. Other receptors of HMGB1 such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) may also be involved in disease pathogenesis. These findings could be confirmed by the clinical relevance of HMGB1 and sRAGE. Therefore, blockage of one of these molecules might represent a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of autoimmune myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy.

Inhibitors of the HIV aspartyl protease [HIV protease inhibitors (HIV-PIs)] are the cornerstone of treatment for HIV. Beyond their well-defined antiretroviral activity, these drugs have additional effects that modulate cell viability and homeostasis. However, little is known about the virus-independent pathways engaged by these molecules. Here we show that the HIV-PI Nelfinavir decreases translation rates and promotes a transcriptional program characteristic of the integrated stress response (ISR). Mice treated with Nelfinavir display hallmarks of this stress response in the liver, including α subunit of translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) phosphorylation, activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4) induction, and increased expression of known downstream targets. Mechanistically, Nelfinavir-mediated ISR bypassed direct activation of the eIF2α stress kinases and instead relied on the inhibition of the constitutive eIF2α dephosphorylation and down-regulation of the phophatase cofactor CReP (Constitutive Repressor of eIF2α Phosphorylation; also known as PPP1R15B). These findings demonstrate that the modulation of eIF2α-specific phosphatase cofactor activity can be a rheostat of cellular homeostasis that initiates a functional ISR and suggest that the HIV-PIs could be repositioned as therapeutics in human diseases to modulate translation rates and stress responses.

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a natural triterpenoid that is widely distributed in edible and medicinal plants. OA exerts anti-tumor activity on a wide range of cancer cells primarily through inducing apoptosis. Dysregulated ERK signaling is closely complicated in the biology of cancer, such as metastasis, proliferation, and survival, and it can be activated by various stimuli. In this study, we found that OA induced the activation of ERK in cancer cells. ERK activation compromised the apoptosis induced by OA. Blocking ERK activation by U0126 or siRNAs was able to potentiate the pro-apoptotic activity of OA on cancer cells. OA was shown to promote ERK-dependent Nrf2 expression in cancer cells, and in turn, Nrf2 expression was able to suppress OA-induced ROS generation. Blockade of Nrf2 expression was able to increase ROS levels and apoptotic death in cancer cells. In conclusion, we provided evidences that ERK activation is a mechanism underlying the resistance of cancer cells to OA-induced apoptosis and targeting ERK is a promising strategy to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of OA.

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored extracellular membrane serine protease prostasin is expressed in normal bladder urothelial cells. Bladder inflammation reduces prostasin expression and a loss of prostasin expression is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human bladder transitional cell carcinomas. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the incidence of various cancers including bladder cancer, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effect of NSAIDs are not fully understood.

Fingolimod (FTY720), the first oral treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), blocks immune cell trafficking and prevents disease relapses by downregulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor. We determined the effect of FTY720 on human T cell activation and effector function.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Keratinocytes and macrophages are two cells types that play a pivotal role in the development of AD. These cells produced different chemokines and cytokines, especially thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), as well as nitric oxide (NO) through inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and COX2 in response to stimulation by TNF-α/IFN-γ and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) respectively. These mediators are thought to be crucial regulators of the pathogenesis of AD. Although several natural compounds to treat AD have been studied, the effect of Rg5:Rk1 from Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) on AD has not yet been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of Rg5:Rk1 on TNF-α/IFN-γ stimulated keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) and LPS-stimulated macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) data showed that pretreatment of HaCaT cells with Rg5:Rk1 significantly reduced the TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced increase in TARC/CCL17 expression in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, Rg5:Rk1 decreased LPS-mediated nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in RAW 264.7 cells. A considerable reduction in messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of the aforementioned AD mediators was also observed. Pretreatment with Rg5:Rk1 attenuated the TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, STAT1, and NF-κB/IKKβ in HaCaT cells. Together, these findings suggest that ginsenoside Rg5:Rk1 may have a potential anti-AD effect by suppressing NF-κB/p38 MAPK/STAT1 signaling.

Though special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2) is reported as a transcriptional regulator of skeletal development and osteogenic differentiation, the underlying mechanism of SATB2 is not fully understood. Herein, we report that SATB2 is localized to the mitotic microtubules, the centrosome, and midbodies in mitotic cells with alpha-tubulin. Moreover, siRNA-mediated disruption of SATB2 in H460 cells caused the defect of nuclear morphology and multinucleate cells. SATB2 siRNA knockdown reduced the viability and downregulated the CDK2 expression in SKOV3 cells. Consistently, cell cycle analysis demonstrated that the silencing of SATB2 induced cell-cycle G1 arrest. Furthermore, proteosomal inhibitor MG132 treatment rescued the downregulation of CDK2 in SATB2-silenced SKOV3 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that SATB2 regulates the mitosis of cell cycle and affects G1 cell cycle via interaction with CDK2.

Mast cells are vital mediators of drug allergy and, therefore, studying the relationship between drug allergy and mast cells is essential. Sinomenine is the principal active component of Sinomenium acutum, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-immune effects, and is used to treat various rheumatoid diseases. However, allergic responses to sinomenine are frequently reported. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of sinomenine on mast cell activation to characterize its allergic effects and the underlying mechanisms. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot analyses, and degranulation assays were performed to measure pro-inflammatory and allergic mediators in P815 cells. The allergenic effects of sinomenine were also determined in mice by using active general anaphylaxis (ASA). The results indicated that sinomenine induced inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) production and the release of histamine, interleukin (IL)-6, and endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ in P815 cells. Furthermore, sinomenine upregulated the phosphorylation of sarcoma (Src), phospholipase C (PLC)-γ1, and IP3 receptor (R). Therefore, sinomenine induced concentration-dependent mast cell activation directly in vitro Furthermore, our in vivo data identified an appropriate intravenous dose that did not induce these allergic effects, thereby providing information for the potential safe clinical use of sinomenine.

Thirty percent of patients with epilepsy are refractory to medication. The majority of these patients have mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). This prompts for new pharmacologic targets, like ATP-mediated signaling pathways, since the extracellular levels of the nucleotide dramatically increase during in vitro epileptic seizures. In this study, we investigated whether sodium-dependent high-affinity γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate uptake by isolated nerve terminals of the human neocortex could be modulated by ATP acting via slow-desensitizing P2X7 receptor (P2X7R).

We have previously shown that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) is important for oligodendrocyte (OLG) differentiation and myelination. However, the precise cellular mechanisms by which p38 regulates OLG differentiation remain largely unknown. To determine whether p38 functions in part through transcriptional events in regulating OLG identity, we performed microarray analysis on differentiating oligodendrocyte progenitors (OLPs) treated with a p38 inhibitor. Consistent with a role in OLG differentiation, pharmacological inhibition of p38 down-regulated the transcription of genes that are involved in myelin biogenesis, transcriptional control and cell cycle. Proliferation assays showed that OLPs treated with the p38 inhibitor retained a proliferative capacity which could be induced upon application of mitogens demonstrating that after two days of p38-inhibition OLGs remained poised to continue mitosis. Together, our results suggest that the p38 pathway regulates gene transcription which can coordinate OLG differentiation. Our microarray dataset will provide a useful resource for future studies investigating the molecular mechanisms by which p38 regulates oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination.

Androgen administration has been widely used for masculinization in fish. The mechanism of the sex change in sexual fate regulation is not clear. Oral administration or pellet implantation was applied. We orally applied an aromatase inhibitor (AI, to decrease estrogen levels) and 17α-methyltestosterone (MT, to increase androgen levels) to induce masculinization to clarify the mechanism of the sex change in the protogynous orange-spotted grouper. After 3 mo of AI/MT administration, male characteristics were observed in the female-to-male sex change fish. These male characteristics included increased plasma 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), decreased estradiol (E2) levels, increased male-related gene (dmrt1, sox9, and cyp11b2) expression, and decreased female-related gene (figla, foxl2, and cyp19a1a) expression. However, the reduced male characteristics and male-to-female sex change occurred after AI/MT-termination in the AI- and MT-induced maleness. Furthermore, the MT-induced oocyte-depleted follicle cells (from MT-implantation) had increased proliferating activity, and the sexual fate in a portion of female gonadal soma cells was altered to male function during the female-to-male sex change. In contrast, the gonadal soma cells were not proliferative during the early process of the male-to-female sex change. Additionally, the male gonadal soma cells did not alter to female function during the male-to-female sex change in the AI/MT-terminated fish. After MT termination in the male-to-female sex-changed fish, the differentiated male germ cells showed increased proliferating activities together with dormancy and did not show characteristics of both sexes in the early germ cells. In conclusion, these findings indicate for the first time in a single species that the mechanism involved in the replacement of soma cells is different between the female-to-male and male-to-female sex change processes in grouper. These results also demonstrate that sexual fate determination (secondary sex determination) is regulated by endogenous sex steroid levels.

In fetal growth restriction (FGR), fetal growth is limited by reduced nutrient and oxygen supply. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a key regulator of fetal growth and IGF binding protein -1(IGFBP-1) is the principal regulator of fetal IGF-I bioavailability. Phosphorylation enhances IGFBP-1's affinity for IGF-I. Hypoxia induces IGFBP-1 hyperphosphorylation, markedly decreasing IGF-I bioavailability. We recently reported that fetal liver IGFBP-1 hyperphosphorylation is associated with inhibition of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) in a nonhuman primate model of FGR. Here, we test the hypothesis that IGFBP-1 hyperphosphorylation in response to hypoxia is mediated by mTOR inhibition. We inhibited mTOR either by rapamycin or small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting raptor (mTOR complex [mTORC]1) and/or rictor (mTORC2) in HepG2 cells cultured under hypoxia (1% O2) or basal (20% O2) conditions. Conversely, we activated mTORC1 or mTORC1+mTORC2 by silencing endogenous mTOR inhibitors (tuberous sclerosis complex 2/DEP-domain-containing and mTOR-interacting protein). Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that both hypoxia and inhibition of mTORC1 and/or mTORC2 induced similar degrees of IGFBP-1 phosphorylation at Ser101/119/169 and reduced IGF-I receptor autophosphorylation. Activation of mTORC1+mTORC2 or mTORC1 alone prevented IGFBP-1 hyperphosphorylation in response to hypoxia. Multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry showed that rapamycin and/or hypoxia increased phosphorylation also at Ser98 and at a novel site Ser174. In silico structural analysis indicated that Ser174 was in close proximity to the IGF-binding site. Together, we demonstrate that signaling through the mTORC1 or mTORC2 pathway is sufficient to induce IGFBP-1 hyperphosphorylation in response to hypoxia. This study provides novel understanding of the cellular mechanism that controls fetal IGFBP-1 phosphorylation in hypoxia, and we propose that mTOR inhibition constitutes a mechanistic link between hypoxia, reduced IGF-I bioavailability and FGR.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including acetaminophen (APAP), have been reported to induce cytotoxicity in cancer and non-cancerous cells. Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) causes liver injury in humans and animals. Hepatic glutathione (GSH) depletion followed by oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are believed to be the main causes of APAP toxicity. The precise molecular mechanism of APAP toxicity in different cellular systems is, however, not clearly understood. Our previous studies on mouse macrophage J774.2 cells treated with APAP strongly suggest induction of apoptosis associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. In the present study, using human hepatoma HepG2 cells, we have further demonstrated that macrophages are a more sensitive target for APAP-induced toxicity than HepG2 cells. Using similar dose- and time-point studies, a marked increase in apoptosis and DNA fragmentation were seen in macrophages compared to HepG2 cells. Differential effects of APAP on mitochondrial respiratory functions and oxidative stress were observed in the two cell lines which are presumably dependent on the varying degree of drug metabolism by the different cytochrome P450s and detoxification by glutathione S-transferase enzyme systems. Our results demonstrate a marked increase in the activity and expression of glutathione transferase (GST) and multidrug resistance (MDR1) proteins in APAP-treated HepG2 cells compared to macrophages. This may explain the apparent resistance of HepG2 cells to APAP toxicity. However, treatment of these cells with diallyl sulfide (DAS, 200 μM), a known chemopreventive agent from garlic extract, 24 h prior to APAP (10 μmol/ml for 18h) exhibited comparable cytoprotective effects in the two cell lines. These results may help in better understanding the mechanism of cytotoxicity caused by APAP and cytoprotection by chemopreventive agents in cancer and non-cancerous cellular systems.

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR) family are intracellular sentinels of cytosolic homeostasis that orchestrate immune and inflammatory responses in infectious and immune-mediated diseases. NLRX1 is a mitochondrial-associated NOD-like receptor involved in the modulation of immune and metabolic responses. This study utilizes molecular docking approaches to investigate the structure of NLRX1 and experimentally assesses binding to naturally occurring compounds from several natural product and lipid databases. Screening of compound libraries predicts targeting of NLRX1 by conjugated trienes, polyketides, prenol lipids, sterol lipids, and coenzyme A-containing fatty acids for activating the NLRX1 pathway. The ligands of NLRX1 were identified by docking punicic acid (PUA), eleostearic acid (ESA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to the C-terminal fragment of the human NLRX1 (cNLRX1). Their binding and that of positive control RNA to cNLRX1 were experimentally determined by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. In addition, the ligand binding sites of cNLRX1 were predicted in silico and validated experimentally. Target mutagenesis studies demonstrate that mutation of 4 critical residues ASP677, PHE680, PHE681, and GLU684 to alanine resulted in diminished affinity of PUA, ESA, and DHA to NLRX1. Consistent with the regulatory actions of NLRX1 on the NF-κB pathway, treatment of bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM)s with PUA and DHA suppressed NF-κB activity in a NLRX1 dependent mechanism. In addition, a series of pre-clinical efficacy studies were performed using a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Our findings showed that the regulatory function of PUA on colitis is NLRX1 dependent. Thus, we identified novel small molecules that bind to NLRX1 and exert anti-inflammatory actions.

The enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains lead to diarrhoea in humans due to heat-labile and heat-stable (STa) enterotoxins. STa increases Cl-release in intestinal cells, including the human colonic carcinoma T84 cell line, involving increased cGMP and membrane alkalization due to reduced Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) activity. Since NHEs modulate intracellular pH (pHi), and NHE1, NHE2, and NHE4 are expressed in T84 cells, we characterized the STa role as modulator of these exchangers. pHi was assayed by the NH4Cl pulse technique and measured by fluorescence microscopy in BCECF-preloaded cells. pHi recovery rate (dpHi/dt) was determined in the absence or presence of 0.25 μmol/L STa (30 minutes), 25 μmol/L HOE-694 (concentration inhibiting NHE1 and NHE2), 500 μmol/L sodium nitroprusside (SNP, spontaneous nitric oxide donor), 100 μmol/L dibutyryl cyclic GMP (db-cGMP), 100 nmol/L H89 (protein kinase A inhibitor), or 10 μmol/L forskolin (adenylyl cyclase activator). cGMP and cAMP were measured in cell extracts by radioimmunoassay, and buffering capacity (ßi) and H+ efflux (JH+) was determined. NHE4 protein abundance was determined by western blotting. STa and HOE-694 caused comparable reduction in dpHi/dt and JH+ (~63%), without altering basal pHi (range 7.144-7.172). STa did not alter ßi value in a range of 1.6 pHi units. The dpHi/dt and JH+ was almost abolished (~94% inhibition) by STa + HOE-694. STa effect was unaltered by db-cGMP or SNP. However, STa and forskolin increased cAMP level. STa-decreased dpHi/dt and JH+ was mimicked by forskolin, and STa + HOE-694 effect was abolished by H89. Thus, incubation of T84 cells with STa results in reduced NHE4 activity leading to a lower capacity of pHi recovery requiring cAMP, but not cGMP. STa effect results in a causal phenomenon (STa/increased cAMP/increased PKA activity/reduced NHE4 activity) ending with intracellular acidification that could have consequences in the gastrointestinal cells function promoting human diarrhoea.

High-level fetal (γ) globin expression ameliorates clinical severity of the beta (β) hemoglobinopathies, and safe, orally-bioavailable γ-globin inducing agents would benefit many patients. We adapted a LCR-γ-globin promoter-GFP reporter assay to a high-throughput robotic system to evaluate five diverse chemical libraries for this activity. Multiple structurally- and functionally-diverse compounds were identified which activate the γ-globin gene promoter at nanomolar concentrations, including some therapeutics approved for other conditions. Three candidates with established safety profiles were further evaluated in erythroid progenitors, anemic baboons and transgenic mice, with significant induction of γ-globin expression observed in vivo. A lead candidate, Benserazide, emerged which demonstrated > 20-fold induction of γ-globin mRNA expression in anemic baboons and increased F-cell proportions by 3.5-fold in transgenic mice. Benserazide has been used chronically to inhibit amino acid decarboxylase to enhance plasma levels of L-dopa. These studies confirm the utility of high-throughput screening and identify previously unrecognized fetal globin inducing candidates which can be developed expediently for treatment of hemoglobinopathies.

Short chain fatty acids (SCFA), products of microbial fermentation of dietary fiber, exert multiple metabolic effects in cells. Previously, we had demonstrated that soluble fiber influenced fat mass accumulation, gut microbial community structure and SCFA production in pigs. The current study was designed to identify effects of SCFA treatment during adipogenic differentiation of porcine stromovascular cells on lipid metabolism and adipokine expression. Differentiating cells were treated with varying concentrations of butyrate. Results show that butyrate treatment enhanced adipogenesis and lipid accumulation, perhaps through upregulation of glucose uptake and de novo lipogenesis and other mechanisms that include induction of SREBP-1c, C/EBPα/β, GLUT4, LPL, PPARγ, GPAT4, DGAT1 and DGAT2 expression. In addition, butyrate induced adiponectin expression, resulting in activation of downstream target genes, such as AMPK and AKT. Activation of AMPK by butyrate led to phosphorylation of ACC. Although increased ACO gene expression was seen with butyrate treatment, experiments with the peroxisomal fatty acid inhibitor, thioridazine, suggest that butyrate may have an inhibitory effect on peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. Our studies also provide evidence that butyrate may inhibit lipolysis, perhaps in an FFAR3-dependent manner. Therefore, this study presents a novel paradigm for butyrate action in adipocytes and shows that adipocytes are capable of utilizing butyrate, leading to increased expression of adiponectin for enhanced glucose uptake and improved insulin sensitivity.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) K is a part of the ribonucleoprotein complex which regulates diverse biological events. While overexpression of hnRNP K has been shown to be related to tumorigenesis in several cancers, both the expression patterns and biological mechanisms of hnRNP K in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells remain unclear. In this study, we showed that hnRNP K protein was strongly expressed in selected RCC cell lines (ACHN, A498, Caki-1, 786-0), and knock-down of hnRNP K expression by siRNA induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. Based on immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of hnRNP K expression in human clear cell RCC specimens, we demonstrated that there was a significant positive correlation between hnRNP K staining score and tumor aggressiveness (e.g., Fuhrman grade, metastasis). Particularly, the rate of cytoplasmic localization of hnRNP K in primary RCC with distant metastasis was significantly higher than that in RCC without metastasis. Additionally, our results indicated that the cytoplasmic distribution of hnRNP K induced by TGF-β stimulus mainly contributed to TGF-β-triggered tumor cell invasion in RCC cells. Dominant cytoplasmic expression of ectopic hnRNP K markedly suppressed the inhibition of invasion by knock-down of endogenous hnRNP K. The expression level of matrix metalloproteinase protein-2 was decreased by endogenous hnRNP K knock-down, and restored by ectopic hnRNP K. Therefore, hnRNP K may be a key molecule involved in cell motility in RCC cells, and molecular mechanism associated with the subcellular localization of hnRNP K may be a novel target in the treatment of metastatic RCC.