USP26 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma metastasis through stabilizing Snail

Cancer Lett. 2019 Apr 28:448:52-60. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.02.007. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Abstract

Snail is an important transcription factor of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and related to poor prognosis and distant metastasis of tumor patients. Snail is a liable protein and degraded by ubiquitin-proteasome system. There are various E3 ligases mediating its degradation, but the deubiquitinating enzyme reversed Snail degradation is not fully understood. In this study, we screened a DUB library and found USP26 is a potent deubiquitinase mediating Snail stabilization. We also identified that USP26 is a booster of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell migration and invasion, and it is highly expressed in ESCC samples. Our observation demonstrates that USP26 is a novel deubiquitinating enzyme of Snail and it provides a potential target for the therapy of esophageal cancer metastasis.

Keywords: Deubiquitination; ESCC; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Snail; USP26.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement / physiology
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / physiology*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / physiopathology
  • Neoplasm Metastasis / physiopathology*
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Snail Family Transcription Factors
  • USP26 protein, human
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases