Transcription factor ETS1‑mediated ECT2 expression promotes the malignant behavior of prostate cancer cells

Zheng,Bo; Chen,Kuifu; Liu,Xin; Wan,Zhenghua; Wu,Yulong; Xu,Liming; Xiao,Jiguang; Chen,Jinqu

doi:10.3892/ol.2024.14585

Transcription factor ETS1‑mediated ECT2 expression promotes the malignant behavior of prostate cancer cells

Authors:
- Bo Zheng
- Kuifu Chen
- Xin Liu
- Zhenghua Wan
- Yulong Wu
- Liming Xu
- Jiguang Xiao
- Jinqu Chen
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Affiliations: Department of Urology, The Fifth Hospital of Xiamen City, Xiamen, Fujian 361101, P.R. China, Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian 361000, P.R. China
Published online on: July 23, 2024 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2024.14585
Article Number: 453
Copyright: © Zheng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Prostate cancer remains the most prevalent malignancy diagnosed in men worldwide. Epithelial cell transforming sequence 2 (ECT2) is an oncogene involved in the progression of human tumors. The present study aimed to explore the involvement of ECT2 in prostate cancer and its participation in the malignant progression of prostate cancer. ECT2 expression in prostate cancer cell lines was examined via reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting. The effects of knockdown of ECT2 expression in PC‑3 cells on cellular biological behaviors, including proliferation, migration and invasion, were examined using Cell Counting Kit‑8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays. The glycolysis level was determined based on the lactate release, glucose uptake, oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate. The binding relationship between ECT2 and ETS1 was verified using luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The results indicated that ECT2 was highly expressed in prostate cancer cell lines. Knockdown of ECT2 expression could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis. In addition, the transcription factor ETS1 could directly bind to the ECT2 promoter and positively regulate ECT2 expression. These data were combined with the results of rescue experiments and demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the knockdown of ECT2 expression on the malignant behavior and glycolysis of prostate cancer cells were partially reversed by ETS1 overexpression. In conclusion, ETS1 induced transcriptional upregulation of ECT2 and enhanced the malignant biological behaviors of prostate cancer cells, thereby promoting the progression of prostate cancer. This evidence provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of prostate cancer.

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