KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is involved in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression through regulating a subset of microRNAs [mRNA]

KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is a multifunctional RNA-binding protein (RBP), which is involved in many post-transcriptional aspects of RNA metabolism including microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, affects distinct cell functions in different tissues and can impact on various pathological conditions. However, the function and underlying mechanisms of KHSRP in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain largely unknown. In the present study, we uncover a novel oncogenic function of KHSRP in esophageal tumorigenesis, and implicate its use as a marker for prognostic evaluation and as a putative therapeutic target in ESCC. To investigate the molecular pathways involved by KHSRP-knockdown, the expression levels of mRNAs in KHSRP-knockdown cells were analyzed using microarray.

KH型剪接调控蛋白（KH-type splicing regulatory protein, KHSRP）是一类多功能RNA结合蛋白（RNA-binding protein, RBP），参与涵盖微小RNA（microRNA, miRNA）生物合成在内的多种RNA转录后代谢进程，在不同组织中调控各异的细胞功能，且可影响多种病理状态。然而，KH型剪接调控蛋白在食管鳞状细胞癌（esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ESCC）中的具体功能与潜在分子机制目前仍不甚明晰。本研究揭示了KH型剪接调控蛋白在食管肿瘤发生过程中的新型致癌功能，并证实其可作为食管鳞状细胞癌预后评估的标志物以及潜在治疗靶点。为探究KHSRP敲低所介导的分子通路，本研究通过基因芯片技术分析了KHSRP敲低细胞内的mRNA表达水平。