E2F7 upregulates MCM4 and fatty acid metabolism to advance lung adenocarcinoma metastasis

MCM4, a key protein in MCM, is frequently overexpressed in cancers, but its specific role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) metastasis is unclear.

Bioinformatics revealed the mRNA expression pattern of MCM4 in LUAD, which we confirmed in both normal lung epithelial and adenocarcinoma cell lines using qRT-PCR and western blot (WB). Cellular proliferation was gauged by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays, and the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers along with fatty acid synthase (FASN) was probed via WB. We employed Transwell to assess cellular migration and invasion, and utilized kits for quantifying intracellular triglycerides and phospholipids. Bioinformatics identified E2F7 as a potential transcriptional regulator of MCM4, prompting us to explore its relationship with MCM4, including predicted binding sites and E2F7 mRNA expression in LUAD. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays were conducted to validate the regulatory effects of E2F7 on MCM4.

MCM4 was found to be overexpressed in LUAD, and its knockdown inhibited cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis, along with decreased FASN expression and declined levels of triglycerides and phospholipids within cells. Mechanistically, E2F7 transcriptionally activated MCM4, regulating fatty acid metabolism and promoting LUAD progression and metastasis.

Our study elucidates the mechanism by which E2F7 transcriptionally controls MCM4 to activate fatty acid metabolism, fueling LUAD metastasis. These discoveries emphasize the pivotal function of lipid metabolism in LUAD development and suggests new therapeutic targets for LUAD treatment.