title: PRAF3 induces apoptosis and inhibits migration and invasion in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prenylated Rab acceptor 1 domain family member 3 (PRAF3) is involved in the regulation of many cellular processes including apoptosis, migration and invasion. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of PRAF3 on apoptosis, migration and invasion in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of PRAF3 mRNA and protein in primary ESCC and the matched normal tissues (57cases) was determined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. Immunohistochemical analysis of PRAF3 expression was carried out in paraffin-embedded sections of ESCC and correlated with clinical features. The role of PRAF3 in apoptosis, migration and invasion was studied in ESCC cell lines of Eca109 and TE-1 through the adenovirus mediated PRAF3 gene transfer. The effect of PRAF3 on apoptosis was analyzed by annexin V-FITC assay. The regulation of PRAF3 on migration was determined by transwell and wounding healing assay, while the cellular invasion was analyzed by matrigel-coated transwell assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the expression of PRAF3 was significantly down-regulated in ESCC tissue compared with the matched normal tissue and was correlated with the clinical features of pathological grade, tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, overexpression of PRAF3 induced cell apoptosis through both caspase-8 and caspase-9 dependent pathways, and inhibited cell migration and invasion by suppressing the activity of both MMP-2 and MMP-9 in human ESCC cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that PRAF3 plays an important role in the regulation of tumor progression and metastasis and serves as a tumor suppressor in human ESCC. We propose that PRAF3 might be used as a potential therapeutic agent for human ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Yixing People's Hospital, Jiangsu, PR China.
authors.forename: Guo-Zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Guo-Jun
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: De-Jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Yong-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Sheng-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C484566:ARL6IP5 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9