Abstract
Transgelin is an actin-binding protein that regulates cell motility and other important cellular functions. Previous studies have suggested that transgelin expression is associated with cancer development and progression, but its specific role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. We analyzed expression of transgelin and its candidate downstream target, tensin 1 (TNS1), in CRC patients using the ONCOMINE, Protein Atlas, and OncoLnc databases. Transgelin and TNS1 mRNA and protein levels were higher in CRC patients and CRC cell lines than in normal tissues and cells. Survival analyses using the OncoLnc database revealed that elevated TAGLN/TNS1 levels were associated with a poor overall survival in CRC patients. Transgelin suppression using siRNA decreased TNS1 expression in CRC cells, demonstrating that transgelin induces the TNS1 expression. Importantly, suppression of transgelin or TNS1 using siRNA decreased proliferation and invasiveness of CRC cells. These results suggest that transgelin/TNS1 signaling promotes CRC cell proliferation and invasion, and that transgelin/TNS1 expression levels could potentially serve as a prognostic and therapeutic target in CRC patients.
Highlights
Colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, is a multifaceted disease with diverse clinical, pathological, and molecular features [1]
Our results show that transgelin and tensin 1 (TNS1) are enriched in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and their expression correlates with overall survival (OS)
Transgelin and TNS1 levels are increased in CRC patients and CRC cells
Summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, is a multifaceted disease with diverse clinical, pathological, and molecular features [1]. Multiple pathways are involved in colorectal carcinogenesis and contribute to the tumor initiation and progression. Localized CRC is curable by surgical resection, many CRC patients will experience recurrent and metastatic disease that is associated with a high morbidity and mortality [2]. Several early studies reported that downregulation of transgelin was associated with a poor overall survival (OS) in CRC patients [4,5,6], suggesting that transgelin might act as a tumor suppressor. Our recent studies have shown that transgelin promotes invasion, survival, and resistance to anoikis in www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget
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