BACKGROUND A series of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been reported to play a crucial role in cancer biology.Some previous studies report that lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 is involved in some human malignancies.However,its ro...BACKGROUND A series of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been reported to play a crucial role in cancer biology.Some previous studies report that lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 is involved in some human malignancies.However,its role in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has not been fully deciphered.AIM To decipher the role of CDKN2B-AS1 in the progression of HCC.METHODS CDKN2B-AS1 expression in HCC was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.The malignant phenotypes of Li-7 and SNU-182 cells were detected by the CCK-8 method,EdU method,and flow cytometry,respectively.RNA immunoprecipitation was executed to confirm the interaction between CDKN2B-AS1 and E2F transcription factor 1(E2F1).Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to verify the binding of E2F1 to the promoter of G protein subunit alpha Z(GNAZ).E2F1 and GNAZ were detected by western blot in HCC cells.RESULTS In HCC tissues,CDKN2B-AS1 was upregulated.Depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells,and the depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 also induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.CDKN2B-AS1 could interact with E2F1.Depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the binding of E2F1 to the GNAZ promoter region.Overexpression of E2F1 reversed the biological effects of depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 on the malignant behaviors of HCC cells.CONCLUSION CDKN2B-AS1 recruits E2F1 to facilitate GNAZ transcription to promote HCC progression.展开更多
Circular RNAs(circRNAs)have been recognized as pivotal regulators in tumorigenesis,yet the biological functions as well as molecular mechanisms of the majority of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)remain elusiv...Circular RNAs(circRNAs)have been recognized as pivotal regulators in tumorigenesis,yet the biological functions as well as molecular mechanisms of the majority of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)remain elusive.We sought to unveil the expression profile and biological role of circMYBL2 in HCC.Initial microarray analyses were conducted to probe the expression profile of circMYBL2 in HCC cells,and qRT‒PCR analysis was then performed in HCC cell lines and tissues,revealing significant upregulation of circMYBL2.Subsequent experiments were conducted to evaluate the biological function of circMYBL2 in HCC progression.Furthermore,bioinformatics analysis,qRT‒PCR analysis,luciferase reporter assays,and western blot analysis were employed to investigate the interplay among circMYBL2,miR-1205,and E2F1.CircMYBL2 was found to exhibit marked upregulation in tumor tissues as well as HCC cell lines.Elevated expression of circMYBL2 increased the proliferation and migration of HCC cells,whereas circMYBL2 knockdown elicited contrasting effects.Mechanistically,our results indicated that circMYBL2 promoted E2F1 expression and facilitated HCC progression by sponging miR-1205.Our findings revealed that circMYBL2 contributed to HCC progression through the circMYBL2/miR-1205/E2F1 axis,suggesting the potential of circMYBL2 as a novel target for HCC treatment or a prognostic biomarker for HCC.展开更多
Objective: Growing evidence indicates that FAT atypical cadherin 1(FAT1) has aberrant genetic alterations and exhibits potential tumor suppressive function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). However, the rol...Objective: Growing evidence indicates that FAT atypical cadherin 1(FAT1) has aberrant genetic alterations and exhibits potential tumor suppressive function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). However, the role of FAT1 in ESCC tumorigenesis remains not well elucidated. The aim of this study was to further investigate genetic alterations and biological functions of FAT1, as well as to explore its transcriptional regulation and downstream targets in ESCC.Methods: The mutations of FAT1 in ESCC were achieved by analyzing a combined study from seven published genomic data, while the copy number variants of FAT1 were obtained from an analysis of our previous data as well as of The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia(CCLE) databases using the cBioPortal. The transcriptional regulation of FAT1 expression was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP) and the luciferase reporter assays. In-cell western, Western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) were used to assess the indicated gene expression. In addition, colony formation and Transwell migration/invasion assays were employed to test cell proliferation, migration and invasion.Finally, RNA sequencing was used to study the transcriptomes.Results: FAT1 was frequently mutated in ESCC and was deleted in multiple cancers. Furthermore, the transcription factor E2 F1 occupied the promoter region of FAT1, and depletion of E2 F1 led to a decrease in transcription activity and mRNA levels of FAT1. Moreover, we found that knockdown of FAT1 promoted KYSE30 and KYSE150 cell proliferation, migration and invasion;while overexpression of FAT1 inhibited KYSE30 and KYSE410 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, knockdown of FAT1 led to enrichment of the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway and cell adhesion process.Conclusions: Our data provided evidence for the tumor suppressive function of FAT1 in ESCC cells and elucidated the transcriptional regulation of FAT1 by E2 F1, which may facilitate the understanding of molecular mechanisms of the progression of ESCC.展开更多
BACKGROUND MicroRNA 34c(miR-34c)has been reported to be associated with malignant types of cancer,however,it remains unknown whether miR-34c is involved in chemoresistance in gastric cancer(GC).AIM To investigate the ...BACKGROUND MicroRNA 34c(miR-34c)has been reported to be associated with malignant types of cancer,however,it remains unknown whether miR-34c is involved in chemoresistance in gastric cancer(GC).AIM To investigate the effect of miR-34c and its upstream transcription factor E2F1 on paclitaxel combined with cisplatin resistance in GC cells.METHODS Paired GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were randomly sampled from 74 GC patients.miR-34c and E2F1 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR)and Western blot.In addition,the drug resistance of GC cells to paclitaxel and cisplatin was induced by concentration gradient increasing methods,and changes in miR-34c and E2F1 during this process were measured.Furthermore,E2F1 and miR-34c overexpression or underexpression vectors were constructed and transfected into drug-resistant GC cells.MTT was employed to test the sensitivity of cells to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin,qPCR was adopted to detect the expression of miR-34c,Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of E2F1,drug resistance-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins,and flow cytometry was used for the determination of cell apoptosis and cell cycle status.RESULTS E2F1 was overexpressed while miR-34c was underexpressed in GC.After inducing GC cells to be resistant to paclitaxel and cisplatin,E2F1 expression increased while miR-34c expression decreased.Both silencing E2F1 and overexpressing miR-34c could increase the sensitivity of drug-resistant GC cells to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin,promote cell apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation.Among which,silencing E2F1 could reduce the expression of drug resistance-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins,while over-expression of miR-34c could upregulate the expression of apoptosis-related proteins without affecting the expression of MDR-1,MRP and other drug resistance-related proteins.Rescue experiments demonstrated that inhibiting miR-34c could significantly weaken the sensitization of drug resistant cells,and Si E2F1 to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin.CONCLUSION E2F1 inhibits miR-34c to promote the proliferation of GC cells and enhance the resistance to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin,and silencing E2F1 is conducive to improving the efficacy of paclitaxel combined with cisplatin in GC cells.展开更多
Estrogen receptors and E2F transcription factors are the key players of two nuclear signaling pathways which exert a major role in oncogenesis, particularly in the mammary gland. Different levels of dialogue between t...Estrogen receptors and E2F transcription factors are the key players of two nuclear signaling pathways which exert a major role in oncogenesis, particularly in the mammary gland. Different levels of dialogue between these two pathways have been deciphered and deregulation of the E2F pathway has been shown to impact the response of breast cancer cells to endocrine therapies. The present review focuses on the transcriptional coregulator RIP140/NRIP1 which is involved in several regulatory feed-back loops and inhibitory cross-talks between different nuclear signaling pathways. RIP140 regulates the transactivation potential of estrogen receptors and E2Fs and is also a direct transcriptional target of these transcription factors. Published data highlight the complex regulation of RIP140 expression at the transcriptional level and its potential role in transcription cross-talks. Indeed, a subtle regulation of RIP140 expression levels has important consequences on other transcription networks targeted by this coregulator. Another level of regulation implies titration mechanisms by which activation of a pathway leads to sequestration of the RIP140 protein and thus impinges other gene regulatory circuitries. Altogether, RIP140 occupies a place of choice in the dialogue between nuclear receptors and E2Fs, which could be highly relevant in various human pathologies such as cancer or metabolic diseases.展开更多
Objective:Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III(EGFRvIII)is a constitutively-activated mutation of EGFR that contributes to the malignant progression of glioblastoma multiforme(GBM).Temozolomide(TMZ)is a standa...Objective:Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III(EGFRvIII)is a constitutively-activated mutation of EGFR that contributes to the malignant progression of glioblastoma multiforme(GBM).Temozolomide(TMZ)is a standard chemotherapeutic for GBM,but TMZ treatment benefits are compromised by chemoresistance.This study aimed to elucidate the crucial mechanisms leading to EGFRvIII and TMZ resistance.Methods:CRISPR-Cas13a single-cell RNA-seq was performed to thoroughly mine EGFRvIII function in GBM.Western blot,realtime PCR,flow cytometry,and immunofluorescence were used to determine the chemoresistance role of E2F1 and RAD51-associated protein 1(RAD51AP1).Results:Bioinformatic analysis identified E2F1 as the key transcription factor in EGFRvIII-positive living cells.Bulk RNA-seq analysis revealed that E2F1 is a crucial transcription factor under TMZ treatment.Western blot suggested enhanced expression of E2F1 in EGFRvIII-positive and TMZ-treated glioma cells.Knockdown of E2F1 increased sensitivity to TMZ.Venn diagram profiling showed that RAD51AP1 is positively correlated with E2F1,mediates TMZ resistance,and has a potential E2F1 binding site on the promoter.Knockdown of RAD51AP1 enhanced the sensitivity of TMZ;however,overexpression of RAD51AP1 was not sufficient to cause chemotherapy resistance in glioma cells.Furthermore,RAD51AP1 did not impact TMZ sensitivity in GBM cells with high O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase(MGMT)expression.The level of RAD51AP1 expression correlated with the survival rate in MGMT-methylated,but not MGMT-unmethylated TMZ-treated GBM patients.Conclusions:Our results suggest that E2F1 is a key transcription factor in EGFRvIII-positive glioma cells and quickly responds to TMZ treatment.RAD51AP1 was shown to be upregulated by E2F1 for DNA double strand break repair.Targeting RAD51AP1 could facilitate achieving an ideal therapeutic effect in MGMT-methylated GBM cells.展开更多
BACKGROUND As a novel endogenous anti-angiogenic molecule, vasohibin 1(VASH1) is not only expressed in tumor stroma, but also in tumor tissue. Moreover, studies have shown that VASH1 may be a prognostic marker in colo...BACKGROUND As a novel endogenous anti-angiogenic molecule, vasohibin 1(VASH1) is not only expressed in tumor stroma, but also in tumor tissue. Moreover, studies have shown that VASH1 may be a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer(CRC). Knockdown of VASH1 enhanced transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)/Smad3 pathway activity and type Ⅰ/Ⅲ collagen production. Our previous findings suggest that ELL-associated factor 2(EAF2) may play a tumor suppressor and protective role in the development and progression of CRC by regulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)/TGF-β1 signaling pathway. However, the functional role and mechanism of VASH1-mediated TGF-β1 related pathway in CRC has not been elucidated.AIM To investigate the expression of VASH1 in CRC and its correlation with the expression of EAF2. Furthermore, we studied the functional role and mechanism of VASH1 involved in the regulation and protection of EAF2 in CRC cells in vitro.METHODS We collected colorectal adenocarcinoma and corresponding adjacent tissues to investigate the clinical expression of EAF2 protein and VASH1 protein in patients with advanced CRC. Following, we investigated the effect and mechanism of EAF2 and VASH1 on the invasion, migration and angiogenesis of CRC cells in vitro using plasmid transfection.RESULTS Our findings indicated that EAF2 was down-regulated and VASH1 was upregulated in advanced CRC tissue compared to normal colorectal tissue. KaplanMeier survival analysis showed that the higher EAF2 Level group and the lower VASH1 Level group had a higher survival rate. Overexpression of EAF2 might inhibit the activity of STAT3/TGF-β1 pathway by up-regulating the expression of VASH1, and then weaken the invasion, migration and angiogenesis of CRC cells.CONCLUSION This study suggests that EAF2 and VASH1 may serve as new diagnostic and prognostic markers for CRC, and provide a clinical basis for exploring new biomarkers for CRC. This study complements the mechanism of EAF2 in CRC cells, enriches the role and mechanism of CRC cellderived VASH1, and provides a new possible subtype of CRC as a therapeutic target of STAT3/TGF-β1 pathway.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND A series of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)have been reported to play a crucial role in cancer biology.Some previous studies report that lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 is involved in some human malignancies.However,its role in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has not been fully deciphered.AIM To decipher the role of CDKN2B-AS1 in the progression of HCC.METHODS CDKN2B-AS1 expression in HCC was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.The malignant phenotypes of Li-7 and SNU-182 cells were detected by the CCK-8 method,EdU method,and flow cytometry,respectively.RNA immunoprecipitation was executed to confirm the interaction between CDKN2B-AS1 and E2F transcription factor 1(E2F1).Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to verify the binding of E2F1 to the promoter of G protein subunit alpha Z(GNAZ).E2F1 and GNAZ were detected by western blot in HCC cells.RESULTS In HCC tissues,CDKN2B-AS1 was upregulated.Depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells,and the depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 also induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.CDKN2B-AS1 could interact with E2F1.Depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the binding of E2F1 to the GNAZ promoter region.Overexpression of E2F1 reversed the biological effects of depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 on the malignant behaviors of HCC cells.CONCLUSION CDKN2B-AS1 recruits E2F1 to facilitate GNAZ transcription to promote HCC progression.
基金supported by the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2021A1515010403,Ning Lyu)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province,China(No.1914050001553,Dong Chen).
文摘Circular RNAs(circRNAs)have been recognized as pivotal regulators in tumorigenesis,yet the biological functions as well as molecular mechanisms of the majority of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)remain elusive.We sought to unveil the expression profile and biological role of circMYBL2 in HCC.Initial microarray analyses were conducted to probe the expression profile of circMYBL2 in HCC cells,and qRT‒PCR analysis was then performed in HCC cell lines and tissues,revealing significant upregulation of circMYBL2.Subsequent experiments were conducted to evaluate the biological function of circMYBL2 in HCC progression.Furthermore,bioinformatics analysis,qRT‒PCR analysis,luciferase reporter assays,and western blot analysis were employed to investigate the interplay among circMYBL2,miR-1205,and E2F1.CircMYBL2 was found to exhibit marked upregulation in tumor tissues as well as HCC cell lines.Elevated expression of circMYBL2 increased the proliferation and migration of HCC cells,whereas circMYBL2 knockdown elicited contrasting effects.Mechanistically,our results indicated that circMYBL2 promoted E2F1 expression and facilitated HCC progression by sponging miR-1205.Our findings revealed that circMYBL2 contributed to HCC progression through the circMYBL2/miR-1205/E2F1 axis,suggesting the potential of circMYBL2 as a novel target for HCC treatment or a prognostic biomarker for HCC.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2015CB553906 and 2015CB553904)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81490753 and 81830086)the Education Department of Liaoning Province in China (Scientific Research Projects, No. L2016038)
文摘Objective: Growing evidence indicates that FAT atypical cadherin 1(FAT1) has aberrant genetic alterations and exhibits potential tumor suppressive function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC). However, the role of FAT1 in ESCC tumorigenesis remains not well elucidated. The aim of this study was to further investigate genetic alterations and biological functions of FAT1, as well as to explore its transcriptional regulation and downstream targets in ESCC.Methods: The mutations of FAT1 in ESCC were achieved by analyzing a combined study from seven published genomic data, while the copy number variants of FAT1 were obtained from an analysis of our previous data as well as of The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia(CCLE) databases using the cBioPortal. The transcriptional regulation of FAT1 expression was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP) and the luciferase reporter assays. In-cell western, Western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) were used to assess the indicated gene expression. In addition, colony formation and Transwell migration/invasion assays were employed to test cell proliferation, migration and invasion.Finally, RNA sequencing was used to study the transcriptomes.Results: FAT1 was frequently mutated in ESCC and was deleted in multiple cancers. Furthermore, the transcription factor E2 F1 occupied the promoter region of FAT1, and depletion of E2 F1 led to a decrease in transcription activity and mRNA levels of FAT1. Moreover, we found that knockdown of FAT1 promoted KYSE30 and KYSE150 cell proliferation, migration and invasion;while overexpression of FAT1 inhibited KYSE30 and KYSE410 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, knockdown of FAT1 led to enrichment of the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway and cell adhesion process.Conclusions: Our data provided evidence for the tumor suppressive function of FAT1 in ESCC cells and elucidated the transcriptional regulation of FAT1 by E2 F1, which may facilitate the understanding of molecular mechanisms of the progression of ESCC.
文摘BACKGROUND MicroRNA 34c(miR-34c)has been reported to be associated with malignant types of cancer,however,it remains unknown whether miR-34c is involved in chemoresistance in gastric cancer(GC).AIM To investigate the effect of miR-34c and its upstream transcription factor E2F1 on paclitaxel combined with cisplatin resistance in GC cells.METHODS Paired GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were randomly sampled from 74 GC patients.miR-34c and E2F1 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR)and Western blot.In addition,the drug resistance of GC cells to paclitaxel and cisplatin was induced by concentration gradient increasing methods,and changes in miR-34c and E2F1 during this process were measured.Furthermore,E2F1 and miR-34c overexpression or underexpression vectors were constructed and transfected into drug-resistant GC cells.MTT was employed to test the sensitivity of cells to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin,qPCR was adopted to detect the expression of miR-34c,Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of E2F1,drug resistance-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins,and flow cytometry was used for the determination of cell apoptosis and cell cycle status.RESULTS E2F1 was overexpressed while miR-34c was underexpressed in GC.After inducing GC cells to be resistant to paclitaxel and cisplatin,E2F1 expression increased while miR-34c expression decreased.Both silencing E2F1 and overexpressing miR-34c could increase the sensitivity of drug-resistant GC cells to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin,promote cell apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation.Among which,silencing E2F1 could reduce the expression of drug resistance-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins,while over-expression of miR-34c could upregulate the expression of apoptosis-related proteins without affecting the expression of MDR-1,MRP and other drug resistance-related proteins.Rescue experiments demonstrated that inhibiting miR-34c could significantly weaken the sensitization of drug resistant cells,and Si E2F1 to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin.CONCLUSION E2F1 inhibits miR-34c to promote the proliferation of GC cells and enhance the resistance to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin,and silencing E2F1 is conducive to improving the efficacy of paclitaxel combined with cisplatin in GC cells.
文摘Estrogen receptors and E2F transcription factors are the key players of two nuclear signaling pathways which exert a major role in oncogenesis, particularly in the mammary gland. Different levels of dialogue between these two pathways have been deciphered and deregulation of the E2F pathway has been shown to impact the response of breast cancer cells to endocrine therapies. The present review focuses on the transcriptional coregulator RIP140/NRIP1 which is involved in several regulatory feed-back loops and inhibitory cross-talks between different nuclear signaling pathways. RIP140 regulates the transactivation potential of estrogen receptors and E2Fs and is also a direct transcriptional target of these transcription factors. Published data highlight the complex regulation of RIP140 expression at the transcriptional level and its potential role in transcription cross-talks. Indeed, a subtle regulation of RIP140 expression levels has important consequences on other transcription networks targeted by this coregulator. Another level of regulation implies titration mechanisms by which activation of a pathway leads to sequestration of the RIP140 protein and thus impinges other gene regulatory circuitries. Altogether, RIP140 occupies a place of choice in the dialogue between nuclear receptors and E2Fs, which could be highly relevant in various human pathologies such as cancer or metabolic diseases.
基金supported by the Science and Technology Project of Tianjin Municipal Health Commission(Grant Nos.TJWJ2022MS003 and TJWJ2021ZD008)the Tianjin Science and Technology Plan Project(Grant Nos.21JCYBJC01520 and 20JCYBJC01070)。
文摘Objective:Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III(EGFRvIII)is a constitutively-activated mutation of EGFR that contributes to the malignant progression of glioblastoma multiforme(GBM).Temozolomide(TMZ)is a standard chemotherapeutic for GBM,but TMZ treatment benefits are compromised by chemoresistance.This study aimed to elucidate the crucial mechanisms leading to EGFRvIII and TMZ resistance.Methods:CRISPR-Cas13a single-cell RNA-seq was performed to thoroughly mine EGFRvIII function in GBM.Western blot,realtime PCR,flow cytometry,and immunofluorescence were used to determine the chemoresistance role of E2F1 and RAD51-associated protein 1(RAD51AP1).Results:Bioinformatic analysis identified E2F1 as the key transcription factor in EGFRvIII-positive living cells.Bulk RNA-seq analysis revealed that E2F1 is a crucial transcription factor under TMZ treatment.Western blot suggested enhanced expression of E2F1 in EGFRvIII-positive and TMZ-treated glioma cells.Knockdown of E2F1 increased sensitivity to TMZ.Venn diagram profiling showed that RAD51AP1 is positively correlated with E2F1,mediates TMZ resistance,and has a potential E2F1 binding site on the promoter.Knockdown of RAD51AP1 enhanced the sensitivity of TMZ;however,overexpression of RAD51AP1 was not sufficient to cause chemotherapy resistance in glioma cells.Furthermore,RAD51AP1 did not impact TMZ sensitivity in GBM cells with high O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase(MGMT)expression.The level of RAD51AP1 expression correlated with the survival rate in MGMT-methylated,but not MGMT-unmethylated TMZ-treated GBM patients.Conclusions:Our results suggest that E2F1 is a key transcription factor in EGFRvIII-positive glioma cells and quickly responds to TMZ treatment.RAD51AP1 was shown to be upregulated by E2F1 for DNA double strand break repair.Targeting RAD51AP1 could facilitate achieving an ideal therapeutic effect in MGMT-methylated GBM cells.
基金the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province,No.2023-MS-149.
文摘BACKGROUND As a novel endogenous anti-angiogenic molecule, vasohibin 1(VASH1) is not only expressed in tumor stroma, but also in tumor tissue. Moreover, studies have shown that VASH1 may be a prognostic marker in colorectal cancer(CRC). Knockdown of VASH1 enhanced transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)/Smad3 pathway activity and type Ⅰ/Ⅲ collagen production. Our previous findings suggest that ELL-associated factor 2(EAF2) may play a tumor suppressor and protective role in the development and progression of CRC by regulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)/TGF-β1 signaling pathway. However, the functional role and mechanism of VASH1-mediated TGF-β1 related pathway in CRC has not been elucidated.AIM To investigate the expression of VASH1 in CRC and its correlation with the expression of EAF2. Furthermore, we studied the functional role and mechanism of VASH1 involved in the regulation and protection of EAF2 in CRC cells in vitro.METHODS We collected colorectal adenocarcinoma and corresponding adjacent tissues to investigate the clinical expression of EAF2 protein and VASH1 protein in patients with advanced CRC. Following, we investigated the effect and mechanism of EAF2 and VASH1 on the invasion, migration and angiogenesis of CRC cells in vitro using plasmid transfection.RESULTS Our findings indicated that EAF2 was down-regulated and VASH1 was upregulated in advanced CRC tissue compared to normal colorectal tissue. KaplanMeier survival analysis showed that the higher EAF2 Level group and the lower VASH1 Level group had a higher survival rate. Overexpression of EAF2 might inhibit the activity of STAT3/TGF-β1 pathway by up-regulating the expression of VASH1, and then weaken the invasion, migration and angiogenesis of CRC cells.CONCLUSION This study suggests that EAF2 and VASH1 may serve as new diagnostic and prognostic markers for CRC, and provide a clinical basis for exploring new biomarkers for CRC. This study complements the mechanism of EAF2 in CRC cells, enriches the role and mechanism of CRC cellderived VASH1, and provides a new possible subtype of CRC as a therapeutic target of STAT3/TGF-β1 pathway.
