TMEM130 promoter hypermethylation predicts tumor cell migration in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer represents a prevalent malignancy affecting women globally, DNA methylation serves as a crucial epigenetic modification influencing disease prognosis through the regulation of gene expression. The aim of this study is to elucidate the potential impact of TMEM130 promoter methylation on its transcriptional activity and to explore the functional role of TMEM130 in the migration of cervical cancer cells. Clinical data and gene expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed to assess the correlation between TMEM130 expression and patient overall survival. Transcriptional levels of TMEM130 in cervical cancer cell lines and clinical specimens were quantified via qRT-PCR, revealing significant downregulation relative to normal controls, consistent with the TCGA findings. Reduced TMEM130 expression was associated with poorer overall survival. Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) confirmed hypermethylation of the TMEM130 promoter in tumor tissues and treatment with a methyltransferase inhibitor restored TMEM130 expression. Functional assays, including Transwell migration and Western blot analyses following TMEM130 plasmid transfection, demonstrated that TMEM130 overexpression suppressed migratory capabilities in cervical cancer cells. These findings suggested that in cervical cancer TMEM130 might act as a tumor suppressor, with promoter hypermethylation contributing to its downregulation, promising its potential as a biomarker for disease progression.