NOL4L, a novel nuclear protein, promotes cell proliferation and metastasis by enhancing the PI3K/AKT pathway in ovarian cancer

Abstract

Nucleolar protein 4-like (NOL4L) was first identified in acute myeloid leukaemia. Then, it was verified to be involved in cell progression in neuroblastoma. However, the functional role of NOL4L in tumor proliferation and metastasis and the underlying molecular mechanism(s) are not fully understood. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays were performed in patient tissues to reveal NOL4L expression profiles. Then, we knocked down NOL4L in two ovarian cancer cell lines (Skov3-ip1 and Hey), and cell-based in-vitro and in-vivo assays were subsequently conducted to gain insight into the underlying mechanism of NOL4L in ovarian cancer. We confirmed that the expression of NOL4L was higher in tumor tissues, especially in peritoneal metastatic tissues. Furthermore, we observed that NOL4L was related to prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. Next, we conducted CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, migration and invasion experiments and wound healing assays and verified that NOL4L could promote proliferation and metastasis in ovarian cancer cells. In addition, NOL4L promoted tumor progression and metastasis in a nude mouse model. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that NOL4L influenced gene expression in the PI3K/AKT pathway. Overall, our study provides genetic and biochemical evidence that NOL4L is critical for tumor progression and metastasis in ovarian cancer cells. Thus, it could serve as a target for antimetastatic therapy in ovarian cancer.