title: Activation of the FAK/PI3K pathway is crucial for AURKA-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in laryngeal cancer.
abstract: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, and the main cause of death is metastasis. Overexpression of aurora kinase A (AURKA) plays an important role in the metastasis of LSCC. However, the mechanism by which AURKA promotes the metastasis of LSCC is poorly understood. Recent accumulating evidence indicates that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may be one of the mechanisms of tumor metastasis. In the present study, we studied whether AURKA may induce EMT to promote the metastasis of LSCC. CCK-8 and plate colony-formation assays were carried out to show that AURKA significantly promoted the proliferation of Hep2 cells. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting showed that EMT-related proteins changed in a time-dependent manner along with the alteration of AURKA, with decreased expression of N-cadherin, vimentin and slug and increased expression of E-cadherin. Additionally, downregulation of the expression of AURKA inhibited FAK/PI3K pathway activity. Inhibition of the FAK/PI3K pathway caused less mesenchymal-like characteristics and reduced the mobility, migration and invasion of Hep2 cells. In conclusion, AURKA may induce EMT to promote metastasis via activation of the FAK/PI3K pathway in LSCC. Those regulatory factors may present new diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for LSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liyun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xuehua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bingya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D064096:Aurora Kinase A / Q000235:genetics*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics*; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D012844:Sincalide / Q000235:genetics; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C000604407:SNAI1 protein, human; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014746:Vimentin; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1; C496050:PTK2 protein, human; C576917:AURKA protein, human; D064096:Aurora Kinase A; D012844:Sincalide