Plexin-B1 silencing inhibits ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion
Authors: Yiqun Zhang
Yongjun Wang
Juncheng Wei
Li Zhou
Ting Zhou
Ding Ma
Mingfu Wu
Li Ji
Gang Xu
Lanying You
Xing Hao
Shixuan Wang
Shuangmei Ye
Jianfeng Zhou
Xuefeng Jiang
Yin Chen
Journal: BMC Cancer (2010)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: Plexin-B1 expression; ovarian tumors; cell proliferation; migration; invasion
Affiliations: Cancer Biology Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, China.

Abstract:  Background: Elevated Plexin-B1 expression has been found in diverse human cancers and in non-neoplastic tissues, and it mediates diverse biological and pathological activities. However, whether or not Plexin-B1 expression is involved in human ovarian tumors remains unclear. In the present study, Plexin-B1 expression was explored in benign and malignant human ovarian tumor tissues. In addition, the impact of Plexin-B1 expression on ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion were investigated in vitro. Methods: Plexin-B1 expression was analyzed in normal and benign ovarian tissues and serous ovarian tumors (both borderline and malignant) by immunohistochemical staining, as well as in four human ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780, C13*, SKOV3, and OV2008) by RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Furthermore, endogenous Plexin-B1 expression was suppressed by Plexin-B1 siRNA in SKOV3 cells, which overexpress Plexin-B1. Protein levels of Plexin-B1, AKT and AKTSer473 were examined by western blot analysis. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were measured with MTT, wound healing and boyden chamber assays, respectively, and the cytoskeleton was monitored via F-actin staining. Results: Expression levels of Plexin-B1 protein were significantly higher in serous ovarian carcinomas than in normal ovaries or benign ovarian neoplasms, and in the former, Plexin-B1 expression was positively correlated with lymphatic metastasis, and the membrane and cytoplasm of cancer cells stained positively. SKOV3 cells displayed the highest Plexin-B1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels among the four tested human ovarian cancer cell lines and was selected as a cell model for further in vitro experiments. Plexin-B1 siRNA significantly suppressed phosphorylation of AKT at Ser473 in SKOV3 cells, but it did not alter total AKT expression. In addition, silencing of Plexin-B1 in SKOV3 cells inhibited cell migration and invasion and reorganized the cytoskeleton, whereas cell proliferation was not affected. Conclusion: Plexin-B1 expression correlates with malignant phenotypes of serous ovarian tumors, probably via phosphorylation of AKT at Ser473, suggesting that Plexin-B1 might be a useful biomarker and/or a novel therapeutic target. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 In Figure 3A, an overlap appears to be visible between the 24h and 48h panels of the blank control. ![file] , 
 Correction, [29 November 2019] :  Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported the following error is the article: The image of Blank control 48u2009h in the lower left of Fig. 3a was in fact a photograph coming from another group [Blank control 24u2009h group shown in the middle left of Fig. 3a], they rearranged and checked throughout the original data, statistical analysis of the summarized results was shown in Fig. 3b, c and e. The corrected figure is presented below. ![] ,