COUP-TFII Overexpression Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Invasion Increased Expression of p53 and PTEN and Decreased Akt Phosphorylation in Human Colorectal Cancer SNU-C4 Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) plays an important role in cancer. We examined the effect of COUP-TFII overexpression on the proliferation and invasion of the human colorectal cancer SNU-C4 cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

SNU-C4 cells were stably transfected with COUP-TFII expression plasmid to overexpress COUP-TFII (COUP-TFII-SNU-C4 cells). Cell proliferation, colony-forming ability and transwell invasion assays were performed. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism of COUP-TFII action, western blot analysis, p53 shRNA transfection, and Myr-Akt transfection were performed.

RESULTS

Cell proliferation and colony-forming ability were significantly inhibited in COUP-TFII-SNU-C4 cells. Western blot analyses demonstrated that while the expression of p53 and PTEN was increased, the p-Akt levels were decreased in COUP-TFII-SNU-C4 cells. Knockdown of p53 partially restored the cell proliferation, but did not reverse the inhibition of invasion. Constitutive activation of Akt via Myr-Akt transfection reversed the inhibited cell proliferation and invasion by COUP-TFII.

CONCLUSION

p53 is required for the inhibition of cell proliferation, and decreased phosphorylation of Akt may mediate the inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion by COUP-TFII.