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Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (생화학분자생물학회)
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Mitofusin-2 enhances cervical cancer progression through Wnt/β-catenin signaling

  • Sung Yong Ahn (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2023.10.29
  • Accepted : 2024.02.27
  • Published : 2024.04.30
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Abstract

Overexpression of mitofusin-2 (MFN2), a mitochondrial fusion protein, is frequently associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. Here, I aimed to investigate the involvement of MFN2 in cervical cancer progression and determine the effect of MFN2 on prognosis in cervical cancer patients. After generating MFN2-knockdown SiHa cells derived from squamous cell carcinoma, I investigated the effect of MFN2 on SiHa cell proliferation using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and determined the mRNA levels of proliferation markers. Colony-forming ability and tumorigenesis were evaluated using a colony-formation assay and tumor xenograft mouse models. The migratory and invasive abilities associated with MFN2 were measured using wound-healing and invasion assays. Wnt/β-catenin-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers related to MFN2 were assessed through quantitative RT-PCR. MFN2-knockdown SiHa cells exhibited reduced proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and tumor formation in vivo. The motility of SiHa cells with MFN2 knockdown was reduced through Wnt/β-catenin-mediated EMT inhibition. MFN2 promoted cancer progression and tumorigenesis in SiHa cells. Overall, MFN2 could serve as a therapeutic target and a novel biomarker for cervical cancer.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (RS-2023-00246602) to S.Y.A.).

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