TY - JOUR
T1 - Folate receptor alpha is associated with cervical carcinogenesis and regulates cervical cancer cells growth by activating ERK1/2/c-Fos/c-Jun
AU - Liu, Chunliang
AU - Ding, Ling
AU - Bai, Lixia
AU - Chen, Xiao
AU - Kang, Huijie
AU - Hou, Lifang
AU - Wang, Jintao
N1 - Funding Information:
This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.81273157, No.30872166 and No.81473060) and the Special Public Welfare Industry Research of National Health and Family Planning Commission (No. 201402010).
PY - 2017/9/30
Y1 - 2017/9/30
N2 - Folate receptor alpha (FRα) is over-expressed in numerous epithelial malignancies, however, the association between FRα and cervical cancer remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of FRα on cervical cancer and its regulation of the ERK signaling pathway. In this case-control study, moderate/strong expression of FRα, phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun proteins was increased with the progressive severity of cervix lesions (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of p-ERK1/2, p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun proteins was positively correlated with those of FRα protein in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) group (P < 0.05). In vitro experiment indicated down-regulation of FRα by siRNA suppressed cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and reduced expression of p-ERK1/2, p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun proteins. The results suggest that FRα is associated with the progression of cervical cancer and regulates cervical cancer cells growth through phosphorylating ERK1/2, c-Fos, and c-Jun, which are key factors of the ERK signaling pathway. Therefore, FRα may be an effective target for early detection and therapy of cervical cancer.
AB - Folate receptor alpha (FRα) is over-expressed in numerous epithelial malignancies, however, the association between FRα and cervical cancer remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of FRα on cervical cancer and its regulation of the ERK signaling pathway. In this case-control study, moderate/strong expression of FRα, phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun proteins was increased with the progressive severity of cervix lesions (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expression levels of p-ERK1/2, p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun proteins was positively correlated with those of FRα protein in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) group (P < 0.05). In vitro experiment indicated down-regulation of FRα by siRNA suppressed cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and reduced expression of p-ERK1/2, p-c-Fos, and p-c-Jun proteins. The results suggest that FRα is associated with the progression of cervical cancer and regulates cervical cancer cells growth through phosphorylating ERK1/2, c-Fos, and c-Jun, which are key factors of the ERK signaling pathway. Therefore, FRα may be an effective target for early detection and therapy of cervical cancer.
KW - Cervical cancer
KW - ERK1/2
KW - Folate receptor alpha
KW - c-Fos
KW - c-Jun
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.08.015
DO - 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.08.015
M3 - Article
C2 - 28782518
AN - SCOPUS:85027120635
SN - 0006-291X
VL - 491
SP - 1083
EP - 1091
JO - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
JF - Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
IS - 4
ER -