Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial step in tumor progression and has an important role during cancer invasion and metastasis. The proteins of the inhibitor of growth (ING) candidate tumor suppressor family are involved in multiple cellular functions such as cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. ING5 is a member of the family. However, the role of ING5 in breast cancer is still unclear. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the role of ING5 in breast cancer. In the present study, we showed that ING5 is involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. ING5 is down-regulated in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of ING5 significantly inhibited breast cancer cell migration, invasion, and EMT phenotype, moreover, overexpression of ING5 significantly the phosphorylation of PI3K and Aktin in breast cancer cells. In conclusion, our findings show that ING5 can efficiently inhibit the EMT progression in breast cancer cells by suppressing PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, ING5 may be a good molecular target for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Keywords: Inhibitor of growth 5 (ING5); breast cancer; epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).