Golgi Phosphoprotein 3 Promotes Cervical Cancer Progression via Wnt/β-catenin Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Objective: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the fatal malignancies affecting the life expectancy of women worldwide. Golgi Phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) has been shown to play a key role in the development of various tumors. However, the role of GOLPH3 in the development of CC is unclear.

Methods: GOLPH3 levels were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Xenograft tumor models were used to explore the effects of GOLPH3 on tumor growth of mice, and immunohistochemistry assay was performed to determine the expression of GOLPH3 and Ki-67. Transwell assay was performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion. Western blot assay was used to analyze the signaling molecules-related proteins regulated by GOLPH3.

Results: GOLPH3 was upregulated in human CC tissues from the GEO database (GSE39001 and GSE63514), and further demonstrated that GOLPH3 level was elevated in human CC cells. GOLPH3 enhanced CC cell proliferation, and knockdown of GOLPH3 suppressed tumor growth and decreased Ki-67 level in xenograft mice. In addition, GOLPH3 aggravated the migration and invasion of CC cells. The data indicated that Wnt/β-catenin signaling might be one of the key targets of GOLPH3. Blockage of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by XAV-939 significantly affected the effects of GOLPH3 on cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related molecules, whereas LiCl (a Wnt/β-catenin signal activator) reversed these above effects.

Conclusion: GOLPH3 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion in CC, possibly by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which may provide a new idea for the development of CC therapeutic targets.