VGLL4 inhibits EMT in part through suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in gastric cancer

Med Oncol. 2015 Mar;32(3):83. doi: 10.1007/s12032-015-0539-5. Epub 2015 Feb 21.

Abstract

VGLL4 is a member of the Vestigial-like proteins that functions as a tumor suppressor, which directly competes with YAP for binding TEADs in several cancer types. Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported that VGLL4 acts as a crucial role in regulating cell mobility, migration, and invasion. However, little is known about the signaling mechanisms in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer. In our study, we confirmed that the expression level of VGLL4 was down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues, and reduced VGLL4 expression levels inhibited apoptosis and promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, we found a phenomenon that VGLL4 was associated with the change in nuclear location of β-catenin, which suggested that β-catenin was a significant downstream factor of VGLL4. These results suggest that VGLL4 suppressed EMT in part via negative regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our study demonstrated that VGLL4 is important in the process of suppressing tumor progression of gastric cancer and provided a potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Middle Aged
  • Reference Values
  • Stomach Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / mortality
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Transcription Factors
  • VGLL4 protein, human
  • beta Catenin