Estrogen Receptor-α36 Mediates EGFR-SGK1 Signaling-Related Erk Activation in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is a prevalent and aggressive malignancy driven by complex signaling networks. Estrogen receptor-α36 (ER-α36), a membrane-localized receptor, mediates non-genomic signaling and promotes tumor progression. ER-α36 can interact with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to activate downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, but the detailed mechanism in gastric cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether ER-α36 promotes gastric cancer progression by regulating serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1)-mediated Erk1/2 activation.

We collected 53 human gastric adenocarcinoma specimens and detected ER-α36 expression by immunohistochemistry. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify ER-α36-related kinases. Gastric cancer cell lines (SGC7901, HGC27, NCI-N87, and MFC) were used for in vitro studies. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), wound healing, MTT, and Transwell invasion analyses, and nude mouse orthotopic tumor models were applied to investigate the function and mechanism of the ER-α36/SGK1/Erk1/2 axis.

ER-α36 was positively expressed in 62.3% of gastric adenocarcinoma tissues and was associated with poor differentiation and prognosis. SGK1 was identified as a key kinase downstream of ER-α36. ER-α36, SGK1, and p-Erk1/2 were co-upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cells. ER-α36 regulated Raf/MEK1/2/Erk1/2 phosphorylation in an SGK1-dependent manner. EGF-induced Erk1/2 activation required both ER-α36 and SGK1. Overexpression of ER-α36 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells, while SGK1 knockdown abolished these oncogenic effects. In vivo experiments confirmed that ER-α36 promoted gastric tumor growth and EGFR/Erk signaling, which was attenuated by SGK1 knockdown.

ER-α36 contributes to the malignant progression of gastric adenocarcinoma by activating the Erk1/2 pathway through SGK1. The ER-α36-SGK1-Erk1/2 axis may serve as a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.