RhoC mediates invasion and migration of CaSki cells through the Rho-associated serine-threonine protein kinase 1 signaling pathway.
OBJECTIVE
The small GTPase RhoC in human cancers is up-regulated and correlated with tumor metastasis. However, the role of Rho/Rho-associated serine-threonine protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) signaling pathway in human cervical cancer is still unclear. In this study, we examine the effects of RhoC and its major downstream target, ROCK1, on the invasion and migration of CaSki cells to investigate the role of RhoC/ROCK1 signaling pathway in the progression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.


METHODS
RhoC and ROCK1 protein expression in CaSki cells was detected by Western blotting. Scratch and transwell assays were carried out to assess the effects of RhoC on invasion and migration of CaSki cells. Cell viability was assayed by MTT test after adding the ROCK1 inhibitor Y-27632 to CaSki cells.


RESULTS
Overexpression of RhoC protein in CaSki cells significantly increases ROCK1 expression and promotes cell invasion and migration compared with the control group (P < 0.05). However, in the inhibition of ROCK1 with Y-27632 in CaSki cells when RhoC was overexpressed, the rate of invasiveness and migration was reduced remarkably (P < 0.05), dropping to comparable levels as the control.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggested that the activation of RhoC/ROCK1 signaling pathways is likely involved in the progression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
*Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and †Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital and Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptide, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.
Rong
R
Chen
Yuan
Y
Cheng
Youyi
Y
Zhang
Zijian
Z
Li
Li
L
Geng
D000577:Amides / Q000494:pharmacology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000075024:rhoC GTP-Binding Protein
D000577:Amides; D011725:Pyridines; C108830:Y 27632; C515851:ROCK1 protein, human; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; C066690:RHOC protein, human; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D000075024:rhoC GTP-Binding Protein