As an independent prognostic factor, USP6 promotes the invasion and metastasis of colon cancer

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 505; no. 3; pp. 816 - 822
• Main Authors: Zeng, Hong, Yuan, Fukang, Mi, Yushuai, Xian, Guozhe, Qin, Chengyong, Zhang, Dongyuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 02-11-2018
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Aged; BIOLOGICAL MARKERS; Cell Line, Tumor; Colon cancer; Colonic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colonic Neoplasms - mortality; Colonic Neoplasms - pathology; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Invasion; LARGE INTESTINE; LIVER; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Male; MESSENGER-RNA; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; NEOPLASMS; Prognosis; Prognostic factor; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - analysis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - physiology; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Survival Analysis; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase - analysis; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase - genetics; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase - physiology; USP6; Prognostic factor; USP6; Colon cancer; Metastasis; Invasion
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.08.168

The lack of efficient tumor invasion and metastatic biomarkers led to high mortality rates in colon cancer patients. Aberrant expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 6 (USP6) was involved in several diseases including cancer, while its role in the progression of colon cancer was still unclear. In this study, USP6 was evaluated at both mRNA and protein levels by using RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry staining analyses. The results revealed that high USP6 expression predicted poor disease-specific survival and overall survival through Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank tests, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Furthermore, cell function assay demonstrated that USP6 could promote colon cancer cells’ invasion in vitro and liver metastasis in vivo. These findings indicated that high USP6 expression contributed to the progression of colon cancer and USP6 may be a valuable prognostic factor in patients with colon cancer.
•USP6 is highly expressed in colon cancer tissues at both mRNA and protein levels.•High USP6 expression was closely associated with the invasion and metastasis of colon cancer.•USP6 overexpression promotes colon cancer cell invasion and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo.•USP6 is considered as a novel gene in promoting the invasion and metastasis of colon cancer.