Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the possible mechanism of angiogenic factor with G-patch and FHA domain (AGGF1) regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway on proliferation, invasion and epithelial mesenchymal transition(EMT) of colorectal cancer(CRC).
METHODS The expression of AGGF1 in normal tissues and tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry of tumor bearing nude mice. The expression of AGGF1 mRNA and protein in NCM460, SW620, HT29, HCT116 and SW480 were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. AGGF1 was overexpressed in HCT116 cells and divided into Vector group and AGGF1 group, AGGF1 was knocked down in SW620 cells and divided into shControl group and shAGGF1 group by cell transfection. CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay were used to determine the cell viability and the number of cell clones. Cell migration and invasion were detected by wound healing assay and Transwell test. The expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were detected by immunofluorescence. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, AGGF1, β-catenin, glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β) and p-GSK-3β.
RESULTS The expression of AGGF1 protein was significantly increased in CRC. The expression levels of AGGF1 mRNA and protein in HCT116 cells were the lowest and the highest in SW620 cells. CCK-8 assay, clone formation assay, wound healing assay and Transwell test showed that in HCT116 cells, compared with the Vector group, the activity of cells at 48, 72 and 96 h, the number of cloned cells, the relative migration distance and the number of invasive cells in AGGF1 group were significantly increased(
P<0.05 or
P<0.01); in SW620 cells, compared with the shControl group, the shAGGF1 group had the opposite results(
P<0.05 or
P<0.01). The results of immunofluorescence and Western blotting showed that compared with the Vector group, E-cadherin fluorescence and protein expression were decreased in AGGF1 group(
P<0.01), N-cadherin was increased(
P<0.05 or
P<0.01), meanwhile, AGGF1, β-catenin, p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β protein expression was up-regulated(
P<0.01). Compared with shControl group, E-cadherin fluorescence and protein expression were increased in shAGGF1 group(
P<0.01), N-cadherin was decreased (
P<0.05 or
P<0.01), and downregulation of AGGF1, β-catenin, p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β protein expression(
P<0.05 or
P<0.01).
CONCLUSION AGGF1 can stimulate the abnormal expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, up regulate the expression of β-catenin, p-GSK-3β, N-cadherin, down regulate the expression of E-cadherin, to promote the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of CRC cells, thus accerelating the occurrence and development of CRC.