ZNF468 Drives Proliferation, Invasion, and Migration in Cervical Cancer Cells
Abstract Objective: To investigate the effect of zinc finger protein ZNF468 on the biological functions of cervical cancer cells and its underlying mechanism. Methods: Western blot (WB) was used to detect ZNF468 expression in HeLa, AV3, SiHa, and H8 cells. siRNA technology was employed to knock down ZNF468 in HeLa and AV3 cells, with knockdown efficiency verified by RT-qPCR and WB. Cell proliferation was assessed using CCK-8, EdU, and colony formation assays. Cell migration and invasion abilities were evaluated by wound healing and Transwell assays. Potential signaling pathways were screened via transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), and the expression of key proteins in the PI3K-AKT pathway was validated by WB. Results: ZNF468 was highly expressed in HeLa and AV3 cells. Knockdown of ZNF468 significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells. The mechanistic study revealed that knockdown of ZNF468 reduced the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT (p-PI3K and p-AKT), downregulated MMP9 expression, and upregulated E-Cadherin expression. Conclusion: ZNF468 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells by activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for cervical cancer.