F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (Fbxw7) is an F-box protein that belongs to the SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein E3 ligase complex and is responsible for transferring the ubiquitin molecule to the substrate, which results in its recognition and subsequent degradation by proteasomes. Furthermore, it can identify a network of signaling proteins that function in cell growth, diversion and apoptosis. In the present study, Fbxw7 was downregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues compared with the adjacent non-tumor tissues and its expression was significantly associated with the tumor-node-metastasis stage, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis in patients with RCC. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that Fbxw7 expression was an independent factor for the prediction of the overall survival of patients with RCC. A functional study demonstrated that downregulation of Fbxw7 facilitated tumor cell migration and invasion via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Therefore, the results of the current study indicted that Fbxw7 is an anti-oncogene that serves a notable function in RCC development by suppressing RCC metastasis and the EMT, indicating the potential therapeutic value of Fbxw7 in inhibiting metastasis in RCC.
Keywords: Fbxw7; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; invasion; metastasis; renal cell carcinoma.