title: Effects of legumain as a potential prognostic factor on gastric cancers.
abstract: Although legumain has been found to be a prognostic factor in both breast cancer and colorectal cancer, its effects on gastric cancer are unknown. In this study, we investigated effects of legumain on gastric cancer and the correlation between legumain expression and prognosis of gastric cancer patients. SGC7901 cells were transduced with legumain cDNA (SGC7901-hLeg) for overexpression of legumain or with legumain shRNA to knock down legumain. In vitro tumor migration was examined by wound healing assay. Furthermore, a tumorigenicity and metastasis mouse model was used to examine legumain function in vivo; asparaginyl endopeptidase inhibitor (AEPI, an inhibitor of legumain) was injected to the mice (i.p.) to evaluate its therapeutic effect. Tissue microarray analysis from 112 gastric cancer patients was performed to evaluate the association between legumain expression and the cumulative survival time. Legumain was highly expressed in gastric cancer patients and some gastric cancer cell lines. Legumain promoted gastric cell migration in vitro and promoted gastric tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, and these effects were reversed by knockdown of legumain with shRNA or treated with AEPI. In gastric cancer clinical samples, legumain expression in tumor was significantly higher than in non-tumor and was negatively associated with the cumulative survival rate. In conclusion, legumain was highly expressed in gastric adenocarcinoma; legumain promoted gastric cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Legumain expression in tumor was a poor prognostic factor for gastric cancer patients, and legumain could be a potential target molecule for gastric cancer therapy in clinic.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiaoling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chongyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Jianyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Baowei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xiangming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D000099240:Asparaginyl Endopeptidase
chemical_list: D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D000099240:Asparaginyl Endopeptidase