Overexpression of RING Finger Protein 126 is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Contributes to the Progression of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Abstract BackgroundMore recently, E3 ubiquitin ligases are well-informed to be involved in tumor development, and genetic aberration of this family have been implicated in breast cancer and oral cancer. RING finger protein 126 (RNF126), a newly uncovered E3 ubiquitin ligase, targets multiple proteins to promote their degradation. This study aims to explore the expression pattern and functional role of RNF126 in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). MethodsImmunohistochemical staining and real-time PCR were used to evaluate the expression pattern of RNF126 in normal lung tissue and LAD tissues. Western blot, cell proliferation and invasion assays were performed to investigate role of RNF126 in modulating LAD progression. Statistical analyses including Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier test, Cox regression test, and Student’s t-test were conducted for both clinical and experimental data.ResultsWe find that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of RNF126 are elevated in LAD tissues, and its expression correlates with clinicopathologic features including tumor size and TNM stage. High expression of RNF126 indicates a poor prognosis of LAD patients. Gene perturbations reveal that RNF126 promotes LAD cells proliferation and xenograft growth. However, RNF126 exerts no significant effect on cell migration and invasion in LAD cells. ConclusionsOur clinical and cellular data suggest that targeting this molecule could potentially provide advantages for LAD patients with high expression of RNF126.