Hypoxia-inducible factors modulate the stemness and malignancy of colon cancer cells by playing opposite roles in canonical Wnt signaling.

ABSTRACT: This study examined the role played by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in malignant phenotype maintenance and canonical Wnt signaling. Under normoxia, we determined that both HIF-1α and HIF-2α are expressed in human colon cancer cells but not in their non-malignant counterparts. The stable knockdown of HIF-1α or HIF-2α expression induced negative effects on the malignant phenotype of colon cancer cells, with lactate production, the rate of apoptosis, migration, CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis, and tumorigenic activity all being significantly affected by HIF knockdown and with HIF-1α depletion exerting greater effects. Knockdown of these two HIF transcripts induced different and even opposite effects on β-catenin transcriptional activity in colon cancer cells with different genetic Wnt signaling

SUBMITTER: Santoyo-Ramos P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4232394 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature