JoVE - Journal of Visualized Experiments
JoVE Visualize
Contact Us

Circ_DLG1 facilitates cell proliferation and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via upregulating MAP3K9

  • 0Department of Thoracic Surgery 2, Gansu Provincial Hospital, No.204 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.
Esophagus : Official Journal of the Japan Esophageal Society +

|

March 5, 2025

|

March 5, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Circular RNA DLG1 (circ_DLG1) promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression by regulating the miR-338-3p/MAP3K9 pathway. Inhibiting this axis offers a potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC treatment.

Area Of Science

  • Molecular oncology
  • Cancer biology
  • Gastrointestinal oncology

Background

  • Aberrant expression of circular RNA DLG1 (circ_DLG1) is observed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  • The precise role of circ_DLG1 in ESCC progression requires elucidation.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the function and mechanism of circ_DLG1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
  • To explore the regulatory network involving circ_DLG1, miR-338-3p, and MAP3K9 in ESCC.

Main Methods

  • Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to measure nucleic acid expression.
  • Cellular assays (viability, migration, invasion) and Western blotting for protein analysis.
  • Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays to confirm molecular interactions; in vivo animal studies.

Main Results

  • Circ_DLG1 expression is upregulated in ESCC tissues and cells, promoting proliferation, migration, and invasion.
  • Circ_DLG1 positively regulates MAP3K9 by sponging miR-338-3p, impacting the p38/ERK signaling pathway.
  • Knockdown of circ_DLG1 inhibits tumor growth in vivo via the miR-338-3p/MAP3K9 axis.

Conclusions

  • Circ_DLG1 promotes ESCC malignant progression by mediating the miR-338-3p/MAP3K9/p38/ERK pathway.
  • Targeted inhibition of the circ_DLG1/miR-338-3p/MAP3K9/p38/ERK axis represents a potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC.

Keywords:

Related Concept Videos

MAPK Signaling Cascades 01:07

5.1K

Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle 02:38

6.4K

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...

Abnormal Proliferation 02:23

4.4K

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways 01:19

6.2K

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

Inhibition of Cdk Activity 02:34

4.6K

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia 01:35

2.3K

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...