Serine 727 phosphorylation of STAT3: an early change in mouse hepatocarcinogenesis induced by neonatal treatment with diethylnitrosamine.

STAT3 activation is involved in development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated STAT3 activation during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by neonatal diethylnitrosamine (DEN) treatment in mice. Nuclear accumulation and phosphorylation of STAT3 were detected in altered hepatocyte foci in the early stages as well as adenomas and HCCs in the late stages. Although total STAT3 levels were the same between the hepatic lesions and normal livers, S727-phosphorylated STAT3 was enhanced in adenomas and HCCs, whereas Y705-phosphorylated STAT3 was detected mainly in HCCs. In mouse HCC cell lines, although both S727 and Y705 remained un- or hypophosphorylated under serum-free conditions, fetal bovine serum (FBS) induced strong S727/weak Y705 phosphorylation, STAT3 nuclear accumulation and cell proliferation, whereas IL-6 treatment without FBS caused Y705 phosphorylation without S727 phosphorylation, STAT3 nuclear accumulation or cell proliferation. When HCCs were simultaneously treated with FBS/IL-6, selective suppression of S727 phosphorylation by an MEK inhibitor prevented STAT3 nuclear accumulation and cell proliferation. Furthermore, an S727 phosphorylation-deficient STAT3 mutant (S727A) had a diminished capacity to accumulate in the nucleus when compared with wild-type (WT) or the phosphorylation-mimic mutant (S727D) following treatment with FBS/IL-6. After treatment with FBS/IL-6, the cells expressing the S727A mutant proliferated more slowly than those expressing WT or S727D mutant. In contrast, suppression of Y705 phosphorylation by a JAK inhibitor in the FBS/IL-6 treated cells did not affect STAT3 nuclear accumulation or cell proliferation. Taken together, these data demonstrate that STAT3 activation, mainly through S727 phosphorylation, contributes to the DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis at the earliest stages.