P8 KERATIN 17 PROMOTES CELLS PROLIFERATION AND METASTASIS IN ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Abstract Background Keratin17(KRT17), as a multifunction cytoskeletal protein, associated with a multitudinous of biological processes, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Previously, we have found up-expression of KRT17 genes in ESCC tissues. Currently, published kinds of researches claimed KRT17 is engaged in the tumorigenesis and progression of multiple cancers. However, the prognostic significance of KRT17 in ESCC patients and its effects in ESCC progression remains indistinct. Methods We verified the expression level of KRT17 in ESCC tissues by Western blotting and q-PCR and constructed KRT17 upregulated and knockdown EC9706 and Eca109 cells by Lentivirus overexpression and CAS9. The function of KRT17 in ESCC proliferation and metastasis were studied in vitro. We performed CCK-8 assays and plate colony formation assays and the plate colony formation assays to explore the effect of KRT17 on the proliferation, Moreover, the trans-well migration chamber experiment and wound healing test was taken to reveal the impact of KRT17 on migration capabilities. Results We verified that KRT17 is overexpressed in ESCC tissues and the role of KRT17 in the malignant behavior of ESCC in vitro and vivo . In CCK-8 assays and plate colony formation assays. We conformed proliferation capacity was notably enhanced by overexpression of KRT17 but compromised when KRT17 was knocked out. On the other hand, we used the plate colony formation assays to explore the effect of KRT17 on the proliferation of ESCC cells. KRT17 up-regulated significantly strengthened the proliferation while the KRT17 knockdown was weakened. To reveal the impact of KRT17 on migration, the trans-well migration chamber experiment was used to compare the role of down-regulation and up-regulation of KRT17 in migration; the results demonstrated that reducing expression of KRT17 significantly blocked the movement of ESCC cells as compared with the empty vector control. Otherwise, it has been confirmed that the cell migration ability employs a wound healing/scratch test because wound closure is generally a measure of cell motility. The results showed KRT17 overexpression notably reinforced the mobility of ESCC cells compared with the empty groups, whereas KRT17 knockdown cells prolonged the time to close the injury compared to blank groups. Collectively, these discoveries support that the increased expression of KRT17 in ESCC cells promoted a more proliferation and migratory phenotype in vitro. Conclusion The breakthrough indicated that the up-regulation of KRT17 in ESCC is closely related to malignant progression. Our data confirmed that KRT17 plays an essential role in reinforcing proliferation and metastasis in ESCC. Thence, KRT17 may serve as a significant molecular target for the diagnosis and therapy of ESCC.