title: Downregulation of VGLL4 in the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: VGLL4, a member of the Vestigial-like (VGLL) proteins, has been reported to be dysregulated in several cancer types. However, its function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains poorly understood. Here, it was found that the expression level of VGLL4 was decreased in ESCC tissues. Moreover, forced expression of VGLL4 in ESCC cells inhibited cell growth and migration, while knockdown of VGLL4 expression promoted the tumorigenecity of ESCC cells. Mechanistically, VGLL4 regulated the growth and motility of ESCC cells through downregulating the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a known oncogene in the progression of ESCC. Taken together, our study suggested that downregulation of VGLL4 was very important in the progression of ESCC, and restoring the function of VGLL4 might be a promising therapeutic strategy for ESCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Taixing People's Hospital of Jiangsu Province, 1 of Changzheng Rd, Taixing City, Jiangsu Province, 225400, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Bihong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Guangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D014157:Transcription Factors; C488533:VGLL4 protein, human