title: Lipocalin2 suppresses metastasis of colorectal cancer by attenuating NF-κB-dependent activation of snail and epithelial mesenchymal transition.
abstract: Lipocalin2 (LCN2) is a secretory protein that is aberrantly expressed in several types of cancer and has been involved in metastatic progression. However, neither mechanisms nor the role that LCN2 plays in the metastasis of colorectal cancer are clear.
  
  
  
  LCN2 expression in colorectal cancer was detected by immunohistochemistry in 400 tissue specimens and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. In vitro, real-time PCR, western blot, colony formation assay, immunofluorescence assay, wound healing assay, migration and invasion experiment were performed to investigate the effects of LCN2 in epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion, respectively. In vivo mouse xenograft and metastasis models were utilized to determine tumorigenicity and metastasis ability, and immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR, western blot were used to evaluate the related protein expression. Luciferase reporter assay was used to explore the role of LCN2 on NF-ĸB promoter.
  
  
  
  LCN2 was highly expressed in 66.5% of the specimens, and significantly correlated with positive E-cadherin in the membrane and negative nuclear β-catenin. Higher expression of LCN2 together with negative NF-κB expression was negatively related to nuclear accumulation of snail and predicted favorable prognosis. LCN2 blocked cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited translocation of NF-κB into nucleus. NF-κB could reverse the effect of LCN2 on EMT and promote snail expression. Rescued snail expression had similar effect without influencing NF-κB activity.
  
  
  
  LCN2 may be an important negative regulator in EMT, invasion and metastasis of CRC via acting as upstream of NF-κB/snail signaling pathway. Thereby combinative manipulation of LCN2 and NF-κB/snail pathway may represent a novel and promising therapeutic approach for the patients with CRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Meibao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Jieqiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Wuzhen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Wubin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Xuesong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China. xfy@zju.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. xfy@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Fangying
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China. lmd@zju.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. lmd@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Maode
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6830-9774
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D016328:NF-kappa B; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Epithelial mesenchymal transition; Lipocalin2 -NF-κB- metastasis; Prognosis