USP44 suppresses proliferation and enhances apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells by inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway via Axin1 deubiquitination.

ABSTRACT: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer death, and its 5-year survival rate remains unsatisfactory. Recent studies have revealed that ubiquitin-specific protease 44 (USP44) is a cancer suppressor or oncogene depending on the type of neoplasm. However, its role in CRC remains unclear. Here, we found that the USP44 expression level was markedly decreased in CRC, and USP44 overexpression inhibited proliferation while enhancing apoptosis in CRC cells, suggesting that USP44 is a cancer suppressor in CRC. We then investigated if USP44 functioned through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. We found that USP44 overexpression increased the Axin1 protein while decreasing β-catenin, c-myc, and cyclin D1 proteins, suggesting that USP44 inhibited the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pat

SUBMITTER: Huang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7496820 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature