title: Zinc finger X-chromosomal protein promotes growth and tumorigenesis in human osteosarcoma cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of Zinc finger X-chromosomal protein (ZFX) in oncogenesis of Osteosarcoma tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we first conducted an expression analysis of ZFX in Osteosarcoma cell lines. Then, we constructed ZFX-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA)-lentiviral vector that is capable of effectively inhibiting the expression of ZFX gene in human Osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells, and investigated systemically the impacts of ZFX silence on the growth and invasive ability of the cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, we determined the effects of ZFX knockdown on the cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of Saos-2 cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that ZFX inhibition resulted in significantly impaired proliferation and colony formation as well as mitigated invasiveness of Saos-2 cells. Importantly, si-ZFX infected cells exhibited a greater portion of cells at G1 phase, but a minor portion of S and G2/M phase cells. Moreover, a greater portion of sub-G1 apoptotic cells was observed in si-ZFX infected cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results strongly suggest that ZFX is a novel proliferation regulator that promotes growth of Osteosarcoma cells, and downregulation of ZFX expression induces growth suppression of Saos-2 cells via arrested G0/G1 phase cell cycle and apoptosis pathways, thereby indicating that ZFX may serve as a new molecular target for Osteosarcoma tumor therapy.
authors.affiliation: Rui Jiang, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, PR China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Zhong-li Gao, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Li
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Mei Sun, Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, 218 Ziqiang Street, Changchun 130041, PR China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Xing-yi Zhang, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, PR China.
authors.forename: Xing-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jin-chengWang, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, PR China.
authors.forename: Jin-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Han Wu Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun 130033, PR China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
keywords: Osteosarcoma; Tumorigenesis; ZFX; siRNA