Open AccessFOXP4 promotes laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma progression through directly targeting LEF‑1
Author(s) -
Jian Shi,
Jingtian Wang,
Hongkun Cheng,
Shenghui Liu,
Xiaowei Hao,
Lili Lan,
Gancun Wu,
Meng Li,
Yan Zhao
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
molecular medicine reports
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.727
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1791-3004
pISSN - 1791-2997
DOI - 10.3892/mmr.2021.12471
Subject(s) - biology , chromatin immunoprecipitation , cancer research , cell cycle , oncogene , transcription factor , cell growth , tumor progression , wnt signaling pathway , epithelial–mesenchymal transition , cell , cancer , signal transduction , metastasis , gene expression , gene , promoter , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are multifaceted transcription factors that have been shown to be involved in cell cycle progression, proliferation and metastasis. FOXP4, a member of the FOX family, has been implicated in diverse biological processes in tumor initiation and progression. However, the molecular mechanisms of FOXP4 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain unknown. In the present study, differentially expressed transcripts in transforming growth factor‑β‑treated TU177 cells were screened using microarrays and it was found that FOXP4 was significantly upregulated. The high expression of FOXP4 was detected in LSCC tissues and cells, and predicted poor prognosis. The role of FOXP4 in laryngeal cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion was determined by gain‑ and loss‑of‑function assays. Besides, FOXP4 was demonstrated to participate in the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition process at the mRNA and protein levels. Mechanically, FOXP4 directly bound to the promoter of lymphoid enhancer‑binding factor 1 and activated Wnt signaling pathway, which was confirmed via chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Consequently, these findings provided novel mechanisms of FOXP4 in LSCC progression, which may be considered as potential therapeutic and prognostic targets for LSCC.