Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 drives cervical cancer progression

Abstract

The expression, biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) in human cervical cancer remain unclear. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that ESM1 expression was significantly elevated in human cervical cancer tissues, correlating with patients’ poor prognosis. Moreover, ESM1 mRNA and protein upregulation was detected in local cervical cancer tissues and various cervical cancer cells. In established and primary cervical cancer cells, ESM1 shRNA or CRISPR/Cas9-induced ESM1 KO hindered cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, in vitro cell migration and invasion, and induced significant apoptosis. Whereas ESM1 overexpression by a lentiviral construct accelerated proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells. Further bioinformatics studies and RNA sequencing data discovered that ESM1-assocaited differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in PI3K-Akt and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) cascades. Indeed, PI3K-Akt cascade and expression of EMT-promoting proteins were decreased after ESM1 silencing in cervical cancer cells, but increased following ESM1 overexpression. Further studies demonstrated that SYT13 (synaptotagmin 13) could be a primary target gene of ESM1. SYT13 silencing potently inhibited ESM1-overexpression-induced PI3K-Akt cascade activation and cervical cancer cell migration/invasion. In vivo, ESM1 knockout hindered SiHa cervical cancer xenograft growth in mice. In ESM1-knockout xenografts tissues, PI3K-Akt inhibition, EMT-promoting proteins downregulation and apoptosis activation were detected. In conclusion, overexpressed ESM1 is important for cervical cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, possibly by promoting PI3K-Akt activation and EMT progression. ESM1 represents as a promising diagnostic marker and potential therapeutic target of cervical cancer.