TFAP2A activates CTHRC1 to influence the migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells by modulating fatty acid metabolism.

Abstract

Background: Tumor metastasis is the main cause of death in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) patients. It is known that the collagen triple helix repeats containing 1 (CTHRC1) protein is implicated in tissue remodeling and is tightly linked to the carcinogenesis and metastasis of solid tumors. However, the functional role of CTHRC1 and its potential mechanisms in LAC cell metastasis have not been fully explored.

Methods: The expression level of CTHRC1 in LAC was measured by using bioinformatics analysis combined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB). Small interfering RNA and overexpression methods were employed to investigate the function and molecular mechanisms of CTHRC1 in LAC cells. Through bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR, WB, scratch healing assay, Transwell, assay kits, and flow cytometry, the downstream pathways and upstream regulatory genes of CTHRC1 in LAC cells were investigated. The binding sites were verified by using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual luciferase reporter gene experiments.

Results: In this project, CTHRC1 was found to be abnormally upregulated in LAC tissues and cells. CTHRC1 promoted the migration and invasion of LAC cells. The promoting effect of CTHRC1 overexpression on LAC cell migration was weakened after the addition of orlistat (a fatty acid synthase inhibitor). Mechanistically, TF AP-2α (TFAP2A) was directly bound to the upstream sequence of the CTHRC1 promoter and promoted CTHRC1 expression. The TFAP2A-CTHRC1 axis induced the migration of LAC cells by activating fatty acid metabolism.

Conclusion: Our results indicated that TFAP2A activates fatty acid metabolism by positively modulating the expression of CTHRC1, thereby facilitating tumor cells' migration and invasion. These findings provided novel insights into LAC treatment and future research.