Down-regulated and Commonly mutated ALPK1 in Lung and Colorectal Cancers

The ALPK1 gene located in the 4q25 region encodes a newly explored protein kinase which could phosphorylate the amino acid of a domain full of α-helices. Recently, several studies have indicated that the expression of ALPK1 is related to inflammation and various diseases; therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the expression of ALPK1 has an influence on tumorigenesis and to further scrutinize its gene polymorphism in order to better understand its clinical importance. In lung and colorectal cancer tissues, the ALPK1 RNA level of the normal part was higher than that of the tumor part using the RT-qPCR analysis. Moreover, differences in HRM melting curves could effectively separate the known mutation sites and be used to identify the two novel variants that might cause the bio-dysfunctions of ALPK1 found in silico predictions. Additionally, in both Lovo colorectal and A549 lung cancer cells with enhanced and depleted expression of ALPK1, the encoded ALPK1 could exert its activity on cell migration without interfering with cell viability. Taken together, these findings suggested that ALPK1 might play a vital role in cancer development and that the newly explored SNPs are found in a Taiwanese cohort.