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Updated: Nov 19, 2025

Deficient Pms2, ERCC1, Ku86, CcOI in Field Defects During Progression to Colon Cancer
Published on: July 28, 2010
RNA binding protein PUM1 promotes colon cancer cell proliferation and migration
Ravi Gor1, Shruthi Sanjitha Sampath1, Lizha Mary Lazer2
1Department of Genetic Engineering, School of Bio-Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Kanchipuram 603203, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract:
Colon cancer is the third leading cause of death worldwide and sixth in India, where it is the cause of 5.8% of the total deaths. Pumilio-1 (PUM1) is an RNA binding protein whose regulatory role is by binding to the consensus 5'UGUANAUA3' sequence on the 3'UTR of the mRNA targets and post-transcriptionally repressing their expression. This study is the first of its kind to report the expression or function of PUM1 in colon cancer. We found that PUM1 mRNA expression is high in primary and metastatic colon cancer cell lines when compared to the normal colon cell line. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed similar trend wherein compared to the normal colon tissue, PUM1 was found to be overexpressed in both adenocarcinoma and in metastatic carcinoma. This confirms the role of PUM1 in colon cancer progression. PUM1 overexpression study in HCT116 revealed that cells transfected with PUM1 plasmid show an increased rate of proliferation, migration and colony formation. Overexpressing PUM1 increases the number and size of spheroids indicating the role of PUM1 in maintaining cancer stem cells. Overall, this is the first study that has shown the role of PUM1 in colon cancer development.
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