Cancer upregulated gene (CUG)2 elevates YAP1 expression, leading to enhancement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human lung cancer cells.

Cancer upregulated gene (CUG)2 elevates YAP1 expression, leading to enhancement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human lung cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2019 Feb 13;: Authors: Kaowinn S, Yawut N, Koh SS, Chung YH Abstract Although our previous studies have showed that a novel oncogene, cancer upregulated gene (CUG)2 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the detailed molecular mechanism remains unknown. Because several lines of evidence documented that Yes-Associated Protein (YAP)1 is closely associated with cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotypes including EMT, stemness, and drug resistance, we wondered if YAP1 is involved in CUG2-induced EMT. We herein found that the overexpression of CUG2 increased YAP1 expression at the transcriptional as well as protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that the elevated YAP1 transcripts are attributed to c-Jun and AP2 bindings to the YAP1 promoter. Akt and MAPK kinases including ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK enhanced the level of YAP1 protein. In spite of a close relationship between β-catenin and YAP1, not β-catenin but NEK2 played the role in increasing YAP1 expression. Silencing YAP1 inhibited CUG2-induced cell migration and invasion. N-cadherin and vimentin expressions were decreased during YAP1 knockdown. The suppression of YAP1 diminished TGF-β transcriptional activity and expression as well as phosphorylation level of Smad2 and Twist protein. C...
Source: Biochemical and Biophysical Research communications - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Biochem Biophys Res Commun Source Type: research