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Egr-1 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Increasing β-Catenin Expression in Gastric Cancer

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Abstract

Background

Abnormal expression of early growth response gene 1 (Egr-1) and β-catenin may play a crucial role in the development and progression of human cancer. However, little is known about the expression and underlying molecular mechanisms in which Egr-1 and β-catenin are involved in the development and progression of gastric cancer.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the potential relationship between Egr-1 and β-catenin expression in gastric cancer, which contributes to finding new molecular carcinogenesis as a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Methods

In a sample of 102 cases of human gastric cancer, the expression of Egr-1 and β-catenin was detected using immunohistochemistry. Egr-1 gene was transfected into gastric cancer SGC7901 cells and its role in proliferation and cell invasion was detected by MTT assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing and transwell invasion assay. Western blot analysis was used to study the expression of β-catenin and cyclin D1 proteins.

Results

Upregulated Egr-1 and β-catenin protein expression were strongly correlated with cancer progression and depth of invasion in gastric cancer. β-catenin, present mainly in cytoplasmic and nucleus of gastric cancer cells, was also positively correlated with Egr-1 expression in gastric cancer. Furthermore, the overexpression of Egr-1 upregulated β-catenin expression level, promoted cell proliferation, increased cell population in S-phase and enhanced gastric cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro.

Conclusions

Egr-1 might contribute to gastric cancer proliferation and invasion through activation of the β-catenin signaling pathway.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Prof Chang-Woo Lee (Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Korea) for the generous gift of the pcDNA3-Egr-1 plasmid used in this study. This work was supported by grants from the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20110073120105) and Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau foundation (20114169).

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 639 Zhizaoju Road, Shanghai, 200011, China

    Ting Sun, Ya-Qin Zhu & Wei-Qian Zhang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Hua Tian

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical College, Weifang, 261042, Shandong Province, China

    Yu-Guang Feng

Authors
  1. Ting Sun
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  2. Hua Tian
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  3. Yu-Guang Feng
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  4. Ya-Qin Zhu
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  5. Wei-Qian Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hua Tian.

Additional information

Ting Sun and Hua Tian equally contributed to this work.

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Sun, T., Tian, H., Feng, YG. et al. Egr-1 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Increasing β-Catenin Expression in Gastric Cancer. Dig Dis Sci 58, 423–430 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2356-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-012-2356-4

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