title: OTUB1 promotes metastasis and serves as a marker of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  OTUB1 (OTU deubiquitinase, ubiquitin aldehyde binding 1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that belongs to the OTU (ovarian tumor) superfamily. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of OTUB1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to identify the mechanism underlying its function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and sixty CRC samples were subjected to association analysis of OTUB1 expression and clinicopathological variables using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Overexpression of OTUB1 was achieved in SW480 and DLD-1 cells, and downregulation of OTUB1 was employed in SW620 cells. Then, migration and invasion assays were performed, and markers of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. In addition, hepatic metastasis models in mice were used to validate the function of OTUB1 in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OTUB1 was overexpressed in CRC tissues, and the expression level of OTUB1 was associated with metastasis. A high expression level of OTUB1 was also associated with poor survival, and OTUB1 served as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. OTUB1 also promoted the metastasis of CRC cell lines in vitro and in vivo by regulating EMT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OTUB1 promotes CRC metastasis by facilitating EMT and acts as a potential distant metastasis marker and prognostic factor in CRC. Targeting OTUB1 may be helpful for the treatment of CRC.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jiangxue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Wuying
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiangqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jiaxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Jiani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Ran-Yi
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center;Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, No, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou 510060, China. changchuanpan@126.com.
authors.forename: Changchuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Wenlin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D000072017:Deubiquitinating Enzymes; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000072017:Deubiquitinating Enzymes; C538826:OTUB1 protein, human; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases