Adaptor protein XB130 regulates the aggressiveness of cholangiocarcinoma

PLoS One. 2021 Nov 15;16(11):e0259075. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259075. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a group of heterogenous malignancies arising from bile duct epithelium with distinct pathological features. Adaptor proteins have implicated in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of different cancer cells. The objective of this study was to assess whether the adaptor protein XB130 (AFAP1L2) is a critical biological determinant of CCA outcome. XB130 expression levels were investigated in four CCA cell lines compared to an immortalized cholangiocyte cell line by Western blotting. Small interfering (si) RNA-mediated XB130 gene silencing was conducted to evaluate the effects of reduced XB130 expression on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by MTT, transwell migration and cell invasion assay. The immunohistochemical quantification of XB130 levels were performed in surgically resected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from 151 CCA patients. The relationship between XB130 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of CCA patients were analyzed. Our results showed that XB130 was highly expressed in KKU-213A cell line. Knockdown of XB130 using siRNA significantly decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion properties of KKU-213A cells through the inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway, suggesting that XB130 plays an important role in CCA progression. Moreover, elevated XB130 expression levels were positive relationship with lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), intrahepatic type of CCA, high TNM staging (stage III, IV), high T classification (T3, T4), and lymph node metastasis. We provide the first evidence that the overexpression of XB130 is associated with tumorigenic properties of CCA cells, leading to CCA progression with aggressive clinical outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Transformed
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics*
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics*
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / metabolism*
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Female
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques / methods
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / genetics
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Transfection

Substances

  • AFAP1L2 protein, human
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

Grants and funding

This study was financially supported by Invitation Research Fund from Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand to P.P. and P.U. (IN63122) and Thailand Research Fund to R.T. (RSA6280005).