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ULK2 suppresses ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion by elevating IGFBP3

Authors :
Xiaoxi Chen
Changxiang Shao
Jing Liu
Huizhen Sun
Bingyi Yao
Chengbin Ma
Han Xu
Weipei Zhu
Source :
PeerJ, Vol 12, p e17628 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
PeerJ Inc., 2024.

Abstract

Background Ovarian cancer is an aggressive malignancy with high mortality known for its considerable metastatic potential. This study aimed to explore the expression and functional role of Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 2 (ULK2) in the progression of ovarian cancer. Methods ULK2 expression patterns in ovarian cancer tissues as well as benign tumor control samples obtained from our institution were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Cell counting kit 8 and Transwell assays were applied to assess the effects of ULK2 overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. RNA sequencing was performed to explore potential mechanisms of action of ULK2 beyond its classical autophagy modulation. Results Our experiments showed significant downregulation of ULK2 in ovarian cancer tissues. Importantly, low expression of ULK2 was markedly correlated with decreased overall survival. In vitro functional studies further demonstrated that overexpression of ULK2 significantly suppressed tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA sequencing analysis revealed a potential regulatory role of ULK2 in the insulin signaling pathway through upregulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) in ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions In summary, the collective data indicated that ULK2 acted as a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer by upregulating the expression of IGFBP3. Our study underscores the potential utility of ULK2 as a valuable prognostic marker for ovarian cancer.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
21678359
Volume :
12
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
PeerJ
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.7b121b8ef96479b9baf8ba258d3a1fb
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17628