RIOK2 Contributes to Cell Growth and Protein Synthesis in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yusuke Matsuzaki; Yutaka Naito; Nami Miura; Taisuke Mori; Yukio Watabe; Seiichi Yoshimoto; Takahiko Shibahara; Masayuki Takano; Kazufumi Honda

doi:10.3390/curroncol30010031

RIOK2 Contributes to Cell Growth and Protein Synthesis in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Curr Oncol. 2022 Dec 26;30(1):381-391. doi: 10.3390/curroncol30010031.

Authors

Yusuke Matsuzaki^{1

2}, Yutaka Naito¹, Nami Miura¹, Taisuke Mori³, Yukio Watabe⁴, Seiichi Yoshimoto⁵, Takahiko Shibahara², Masayuki Takano², Kazufumi Honda^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioregulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan.
² Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tokyo Dental College, Tokyo 101-0061, Japan.
³ Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
⁴ Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Center, Tokyo 183-8524, Japan.
⁵ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
⁶ Department of Bioregulation, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8602, Japan.

Abstract

Ribosomes are responsible for the protein synthesis that maintains cellular homeostasis and is required for the rapid cellular division of cancer cells. However, the role of ribosome biogenesis mediators in the malignant behavior of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is unknown. In this study, we found that the expression of RIOK2, a key enzyme involved in the maturation steps of the pre-40S ribosomal complex, was significantly associated with poorer overall survival in patients with TSCC. Further, multivariate analysis revealed that RIOK2 is an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 3.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-10.91). Inhibition of RIOK2 expression by siRNA decreased cell growth and S6 ribosomal protein expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. RIOK2 knockdown also led to a significant decrease in the protein synthesis in cancer cells. RIOK2 has potential application as a novel therapeutic target for TSCC treatment.

Keywords: RIOK2; biomarker; protein synthesis; ribosome; tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / genetics
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / pathology
Head and Neck Neoplasms*
Humans
Mouth Neoplasms* / genetics
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
Tongue Neoplasms* / genetics
Tongue Neoplasms* / metabolism
Tongue Neoplasms* / pathology

Substances

RIOK2 protein, human

Grants and funding

This work was funded and supported by a Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (16H05547) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (METX) of Japan (K.H.), and by Therapeutic Evolution (P-CREATE) (21cm0106403h0006) from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (K.H.).