Open AccessLoss of ZBRK1 Contributes to the Increase of KAP1 and Promotes KAP1-Mediated Metastasis and Invasion in Cervical Cancer
Author(s) -
Li Fang Lin,
ChienFeng Li,
WeiJan Wang,
WenMing Yang,
Dennis Ding Hwa Wang,
Wen Chang Chang,
WenHwa Lee,
Ju Ming Wang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0073033
Subject(s) - metastasis , cancer research , zinc finger , cancer , biology , tumor progression , cell migration , cancer cell , psychological repression , suppressor , medicine , pathology , cell , gene expression , gene , transcription factor , genetics
ZBRK1, a zinc finger protein that interacts with breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and KRAB-ZFP-associated protein 1 (KAP1), has been suggested to serve as a tumor suppressor via repression of tumor metastasis/invasion. To date, the detailed molecular mechanisms for how BRCA1 and KAP1 participate in ZBRK1-mediated transcriptional repression, metastasis and invasion as well as the associated clinical relevance remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that both the N- and C-terminal domains of ZBRK1 are important for inhibiting cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in cervical cancer. Specifically, the N-terminal KRAB domain of ZBRK1 displayed a more crucial role in inhibiting metastasis and invasion through modulation of KAP1 function in a transcriptionally dependent manner. The loss of ZBRK1 results in an increase of KAP1 expression, which enhanced migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells both the in vitro and in vivo . Moreover, an inverse correlation of expression levels was observed between ZBRK1 and KAP1 following tumor progression from in situ carcinoma to invasive/metastatic cervical cancer specimens. Taken together, the current results indicate that a loss of ZBRK1 contributes to the increased expression of KAP1, potentiating its role to enhance metastasis and invasion.