WSB2 As a Target of Hedgehog Signaling Promoted the Malignant Biological Behavior of Xuanwei Lung Cancer Through Regulating Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling
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7404 Original Article WSB2 as a target of Hedgehog signaling promoted the malignant biological behavior of Xuanwei lung cancer through regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling Xueqiang Wei1,2, Jun Liao1,2, Yujie Lei2, Minjie Li1,2, Guangqiang Zhao2, Yongchun Zhou2, Lianhua Ye2, Yunchao Huang2 1Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China; 2Department of Thoracic Surgery I, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University/ Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Yunnan Cancer Center, The International Cooperation Key Laboratory of Regional Tumor in High Altitude Area, Kunming, China Contributions: (I) Conception and design: X Wei; (II) Administrative support: Y Huang; (III) Provision of study materials or patients: X Wei, Y Lei, G Zhao, L Ye; (IV) Collection and assembly of data: X Wei, M Li; (V) Data analysis and interpretation: All authors; (VI) Manuscript writing: All authors; (VII) Final approval of manuscript: All authors. Correspondence to: Yunchao Huang. Department of Thoracic Surgery I, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University/Yunnan Cancer Hospital, No. 519, Kunzhou Road, Kunming 650118, China. Email: [email protected]. Background: Lung cancer represents the most leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, especially in Xuanwei in eastern Yunnan province, China. WD repeat and SOCS box containing protein (WSB) has been reported to participate in the carcinogenesis of lung cancer. However, there is no report about the role of WSB2 in the carcinogenesis and development of lung cancer in Xuanwei. Here, we investigated the functional role of WSB2 in Xuanwei lung cancer and uncovered its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: The expression of WSB2 in lung cancer cell lines and tissues were measured using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blotting was used to determine the protein levels of WSB2, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, c-Myc and β-catenin in lung cancer cells. Cell viability was detected using 3-(4,5-diethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H- etrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay. While cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were quantified using flow cytometry following indicated staining. The change of cell invasion ability was detected using Transwell assay. FH535 was employed to block Wnt/β-catenin pathway. A xenograft tumor model was applied to confirm the tumor properties of WSB2in vivo. Results: Our data showed that WSB2 was frequently up-regulated in Xuanwei lung cancer tissues and cells, when compared with paired non-cancerous tissues and normal lung epithelial cells. Knockdown of WSB2 notably reduced cell viability, cell invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, while induced apoptotic cell death and cell cycle arrest of Xuanwei lung cancer cells. Moreover, in vivo findings also confirmed that WSB2 knockdown could effectively delay the growth of tumor. Mechanistic studies revealed that c-Myc and β-catenin were notably decreased at both protein and mRNA levels after knocking down of WSB2, while overexpression of WSB2 showed a contrary tendency. In addition, blocking Wnt/ β-catenin pathway using FH535 rescued the cancer promoting effect mediated by overexpression of WSB2. Furthermore, WSB2 activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway and accelerated the progression of lung cancer. Conclusions: WSB2 promoted the progression of lung cancer in Xuanwei by triggering Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Keywords: WD repeat and SOCS box containing protein 2 (WSB2); proliferation; cycle progression; lung cancer in Xuanwei; Wnt/β-catenin pathway Submitted Jul 01, 2020. Accepted for publication Oct 26, 2020. doi: 10.21037/tcr-20-2450 View this article at: http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tcr-20-2450 © Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved. Transl Cancer Res 2020;9(12):7394-7404 | http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tcr-20-2450 Translational Cancer Research, Vol 9, No 12 December 2020 7395 Introduction Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway (12). Importantly, a recent study revealed that WSB2 regulated the expression Lung cancer represents the most leading cancer-related of β-catenin in melanoma cells (13). However, there was no deaths in China and is increasing fast in recent year, report indicated that WSB2 regulated the development of especially in Xuanwei which is a county located in the Xuanwei lung cancer via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. northeast of Yunnan Province, China (1). The crude Current study was designed to measure the expression mortality rates of lung cancers in Xuanwei are usually higher of WSB2 in Xuanwei lung cancer tissues and cell lines. than in other areas of China (2). Besides, Xuanwei lung Furthermore, the function of WSB2 effect on the cell cancer show some different characteristics, for example, the proliferation, apoptosis, cycle progression, EMT and major type of lung cancer in Xuanwei is adenocarcinoma, invasion ability of Xuanwei lung cancer in vitro was and the incidence is remarkable higher in non-smoking studied. Besides, a xenograft tumor model was constructed women, in addition, the incidence peaks of lung cancer to confirm the effect of WSB2 in vivo. In addition, the in Xuanwei, aged between 41 and 50, are younger than in relationship between WSB2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling other areas of the country (3). Despite some advent in the pathway, and their function in Xuanwei lung cancer were early diagnosis and treatment of Xuanwei lung cancer have explored. Overall, this study aims to provide a promising been made in recent years, the over 5-year survival time for target for Xuanwei lung cancer. those patients still poor (4). Therefore, it is necessary to We present the following article in accordance with the find effective bio-markers for lung cancer in Xuanwei. ARRIVE reporting checklist (available at http://dx.doi. WD repeat and suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) org/10.21037/tcr-20-2450). box containing proteins (WSB) are the member of SOCS family. Up to date, only two sub-types WSB proteins have been identified, named as WSB1 and WSB2 (5). There Methods were many researches which studied the relationship Tissue samples between WSB1 and cancer. For example, a study found that increased levels of WSB1 in primary osteosarcomas Human normal lung tissues (n=70), lung cancer tissues correlated with pulmonary metastatic potential (6). Besides, (n=68) and Xuanwei lung cancer tissues (n=66) (patients WSB1 also play a role in neuroblastoma cell growth and born in Xuanwei and lived in Xuanwei for more than tumor progression (7). However, there was not much 15 years) were collected from patients who did not receive study on the function of WSB2 in cancer. Existing studies radiochemotherapy before surgery and signed the informed demonstrated that WSB1 and WSB2 contain eight WD- consents. The tissues were used to measure the expression 40 repeats and a SOCS box domain and show the similar of WSB2, and the low and high expression in WSB2 was levels (approximately 65%) and distribution. Thus, defined by the median of the WSB2 expression in 66 WSB1 and WSB2 potentially share some functional patients with Xuanwei lung cancer. homology (8). Based on participation of WSB1 in the The study was conducted in accordance with the progression of cancer, and there have been no reports about Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013). The study the effect of the WSB2 on the development of Xuanwei was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yunnan Cancer lung cancer, therefore the functional role of WSB2 in Hospital (NO.: KY2019.57) and informed consent was Xuanwei lung cancer was explored here. taken from all the patients. Accumulating evidence indicated that abnormal activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway was correlated to Cell culture and transfection carcinogenesis through regulating cell apoptosis, cell cycle progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition Human normal bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B and (EMT) (9). For example, triptolide was found to trigger lung cancer cell line A549 were acquired from Shanghai apoptotic cell death in osteosarcoma cells by blocking Wnt/ Kanglang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). β-catenin pathway (10). Besides, β4-subunit-mediated Xuanwei lung cancer cell line XWLC-05 was obtained from inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibited cell Yunnan Cancer Institute, China. All cells were maintained growth and cell cycle progression of hepatoma (11). In with Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (#11965092, addition, down-regulated MAC30 expression inhibited cell Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA)) containing 5% fetal invasion and EMT of breast cancer through suppressing bovine serum (#SH30070.02, HyClone, USA) and kept at © Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved. Transl Cancer Res 2020;9(12):7394-7404 | http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tcr-20-2450 7396 Wei et al. WSB2 promotes malignant biological behavior of Xuanwei lung cancer 37 in 5% CO2. pcDNA3.1-WSB2 overexpression vector Biorbyt) was used to visualize the signals. GAPDH was the (OV-WSB2) and short hairpin RNA targeting WSB2 reference control. The optical density of blot was analyzed ℃ (sh-WSB2) which were synthesized by Genechem Co., Ltd. by using the ImageJ software. (Shanghai, China) were transfected into A549 and XWLC- 05. In this paper, the negative control (NC) group was the 3-(4,5-diethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)- cells without any treatment. 2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-etrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay Cell viability was monitored by using MTS assay. Briefly, Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) transfected A549 and XWLC-05 cells were plated into The relative mRNA levels of WSB2 in tissues and cells 96-well plates and maintained in an incubator at 37 were detected using qRT-PCR. Total RNA in Xuanwei lung with 5% CO2. Following 48 h, 20 μL of MTS (S12069, ℃ cancer cells and tissues were isolated using TRIzol reagent Yeyuan, Shanghai, China) was added and incubated for 2 h. (#DXT-15596018, Gibco, USA). After transcribed the Then the absorbance value at 490 nm was quantified using extracted RNA into cDNA by using a Reverse Transcription microplate autoreader (iMark, Bio-Rad, USA).