TMEFF2 is a novel prognosis signature and target for endometrial carcinoma

Publication date: Available online 11 October 2019Source: Life SciencesAuthor(s): Lingling Gao, Xin Nie, Mingjun Zheng, Xiao Li, Qian Guo, Juanjuan Liu, Qing Liu, Yingying Hao, Bei LinAbstractAimsTomoregulin-2 (TMEFF2) is a single-pass transmembrane protein whose specific functions and mechanisms in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression, prognostic role, and potential regulatory mechanisms of TMEFF2 in EC.Materials and methodsThe expression and prognosis of TMEFF2 in EC were analyzed via bioinformatics and verified by immunohistochemistry and survival analysis. Proliferation, invasion, and migration of EC cells in vitro were assessed by cell functional assays, while epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and key signaling pathway proteins were evaluated by western blotting.Key findingsThe expression of TMEFF2 in EC was significantly higher than that in atypical hyperplasia and normal endometrium, the high expression of TMEFF2 was correlated with advanced stage, poor differentiation, and lymph node metastasis, and also predicted a poor prognosis of EC. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that TMEFF2 and its related genes were enriched in the central nervous system, cell adhesion, signal transduction, and several critical signaling pathways. We also elucidated TMEFF2 networks of kinase, microRNA, and transcription factor targets. In vitro, the proliferation,...
Source: Life Sciences - Category: Biology Source Type: research