title: The important role of the receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression.
abstract: The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is involved in various cancers, but its roles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have not yet been fully elucidated.
  
  
  
  Initially, RACK1 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in NPC and normal nasopharyngeal (NP) tissues. It was also detected by qPCR and Western blot in NPC cells. Confocal microscope and immunofluorescence were performed to detect the subcellular compartmentalization of RACK1. Subsequently, after up- or down-regulating RACK1 in NPC cells, cell proliferation and migration/invasion were tested using in vitro assays including MTT, EdU, colony formation, Transwell and Boyden assays. Furthermore, several key molecules were detected by Western blot to explore underlying mechanism. Finally, clinical samples were analyzed to confirm the relationship between RACK1 expression and clinical features.
  
  
  
  Receptor for activated C kinase 1 expression was much higher in NPC than NP tissues. And RACK1 was mainly located in the cytoplasm. Overexpression of RACK1 promoted NPC cell proliferation and metastasis/invasion, whereas depletion of this protein suppressed NPC cell proliferation and metastasis/invasion. Mechanistically, RACK1 deprivation obviously suppressed the activation of Akt and FAK, suggesting the PI3K/Akt/FAK pathway as one of functional mechanisms of RACK1 in NPC. Furthermore, clinical sample analysis indicated a positive correlation between in vivo expression of RACK1 with lymph node invasion and clinical stage of NPC.
  
  
  
  Our results demonstrate that RACK1 protein plays an important role in NPC development and progression. The upregulation of RACK1 can promote the proliferation and invasion of NPC by regulating the PI3K/Akt/FAK signal pathway. Thus, this study contributes to the discovery of a potential therapeutic target for NPC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510317, China. doctorpenghong@163.com.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Ping-Gui
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, 511518, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Bang
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute and the Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Long-Mei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Yi
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute and the Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Kai-Tai
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute and the Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China. xinli268@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D000075370:Receptors for Activated C Kinase; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000075370:Receptors for Activated C Kinase; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Metastasis; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Proliferation; RACK1