Targeting SPHK1/PBX1 Axis Induced Cell Cycle Arrest in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 23; no. 21; p. 12741
• Main Authors: Lin, Zhoujun, Li, Yin, Han, Xiao, Fu, Zhenkun, Tian, Zhenhuan, Li, Chenggang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.10.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: AKT protein; Animals; Cancer therapies; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - genetics; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Cell cycle; Cell Cycle Checkpoints - genetics; Cell growth; Cloning; Cyclin-dependent kinases; Flow cytometry; G1 phase; Homeobox; Humans; Kinases; Leukemia; Lipid metabolism; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - genetics; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Lymphocytes B; Lysophospholipids - metabolism; Medical prognosis; non-small cell lung cancer; Non-small cell lung carcinoma; Ovarian cancer; PBX1; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); Pre-B-Cell Leukemia Transcription Factor 1; Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; S1PR3; Sphingosine - metabolism; Sphingosine 1-phosphate; Sphingosine kinase; SPHK1; Survival analysis; Transcription factors; Tumors; Wound healing; Xenografts; Xenotransplantation; non-small cell lung cancer; S1PR3; cell cycle; SPHK1; PBX1
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112741

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85~90% of lung cancer cases, with a poor prognosis and a low 5-year survival rate. Sphingosine kinase-1 (SPHK1), a key enzyme in regulating sphingolipid metabolism, has been reported to be involved in the development of NSCLC, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated the abnormal signature of SPHK1 in NSCLC lesions and cell lines of lung cancers with a potential tumorigenic role in cell cycle regulation. Functionally, ectopic Pre-B cell leukemia homeobox-1 ( ) was capable of restoring the arrested G1 phase induced by knockdown. However, exogenous sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) supply had little impact on the cell cycle arrest by silence. Furthermore, S1P receptor S1PR3 was revealed as a specific switch to transport the extracellular S1P signal into cells, and subsequently activated PBX1 to regulate cell cycle progression. In addition, Akt signaling partially participated in the SPHK1/S1PR3/PBX1 axis to regulate the cell cycle, and the Akt inhibitor significantly decreased PBX1 expression and induced G1 arrest. Targeting SPHK1 with PF-543 significantly inhibited the cell cycle and tumor growth in preclinical xenograft tumor models of NSCLC. Taken together, our findings exhibit the vital role of the SPHK1/S1PR3/PBX1 axis in regulating the cell cycle of NSCLC, and targeting SPHK1 may develop a therapeutic effect in tumor treatment.