Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that the C-terminal of E1A binding proteins (CtBPs) influences tumorigenesis by participating in cell signal transduction in various human malignancies. However, the detailed expression patterns of CtBP isoforms in human osteosarcoma (OS) and the molecular mechanisms of CtBP involvement in tumor cell phenotypes requires further investigation. In the present study, the expression patterns of CtBP2 in OS cells and tissues were explored by immunohistochemistry. Fetal osteoblast cells were transfected with a eukaryotic expression plasmid to overexpress CtBP2, and the endogenous CtBP2 in OS cells was silenced via a short hairpin RNA. These transfections were validated and the phosphorylation levels of the JAK1/Stat3 signaling pathway were explored via western blotting. Furthermore, the malignant phenotype of OS cells was evaluated via a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, cell colony formation assay, cell migration assay and scratch wound healing assay. The results revealed that the expression of CtBP2, but not CtBP1, was upregulated in OS tissue samples and the elevated expression level of CtBP2 was notably associated with distant metastasis. CtBP2 was demonstrated to modulate cell migration and invasion via JAK1/Stat3 signaling pathway in fetal osteoblast cells. In addition, genetic silencing of CtBP2 expression in OS cells notably reduced cell migration abilities and the phosphorylation of the JAK1/Stat3 pathway. In summary, the present studies revealed that the loss of CtBP2 constrained distant metastasis through the JAK1/Stat3 pathway in OS, suggesting that targeting CtBP2 may be a practical anti-tumor approach to prevent OS tumor progression.