Introduction: The Wilms' tumor gene (WT1) has been identified as an oncogene in many malignant diseases, and aberrant WT1 expression has been linked to development, progression, and prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sought to investigate the underlying mechanism of WT1 and metastasis in NSCLC.
Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect WT1 and CDH1 mRNA in 159 NSCLC samples and corresponding adjacent tissues. Stable clones with overexpression and knockdown of WT1 were generated with plasmid and shRNA via lentivirus technology in H1568 and H1650 NSCLC cell lines. Wound-healing assay, transwell assays, and polymerase chain reaction array were carried out for invasion evaluation. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the effect of WT1 on CDH1.
Results: The level of the WT1 mRNA was negatively correlated with that of E-cadherin (CDH1) and associated with pathological stage, metastasis, and survival rate of 159 NSCLC patients. A series of genes were regulated by WT1, and WT1 could suppress CDH1 transcription via direct binding to its promoter and may enhance the invasive ability of H1568 and H1650 NSCLC cell lines.
Conclusions: WT1 expression was correlated with clinical stage, metastasis, and survival rate in 159 NSCLC patients. Via direct binding to the promoter, WT1 could suppress CDH1 and promote NSCLC invasion.