Deciphering the central role of TMOD2 in colorectal cancer progression and metastasis

Tropomodulin-2 (TMOD2) is upregulated in the nuclear compartment of highly liver metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Its role in cancer and CRC progression is functionally undefined, despite its analysis in COAD and READ TCGA datasets revealing a correlation between high TMOD2 expression, advanced disease stages, and poorer survival in CRC patients. We aimed here to explore the role of TMOD2 in CRC and liver metastasis using functional proteomics, tumour samples, bioinformatics, and in vitro and in vivo CRC models. Stable overexpression and stable depletion of TMOD2 in isogenic CRC cells revealed its impact on tumorigenic and metastatic properties. TMOD2 overexpression enhanced cell adhesion, anchorage-independent growth, and migration, while stably TMOD2 depletion reduced them. In vivo, TMOD2-overexpressing cells formed larger tumours and enhanced liver colonisation of CRC cells. Clinically, TMOD2 protein levels demonstrated strong discriminatory ability between metastatic and non-metastatic CRC patients. Proteomic analyses allowed the identification of TMOD2-associated proteins involved in cytoskeletal dynamics, secretion, and focal adhesions, with further validation implicating STAG1 and MARCKS as mediators of TMOD2-driven pathways. Our findings demonstrate that TMOD2 plays a role in CRC progression by modulating cytoskeletal dynamics, enhancing cell adhesion and promoting liver metastasis, positioning TMOD2 as a target for therapeutic intervention in CRC.