Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the role of pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) in proliferation, migration, invasion, and aerobic glycolysis of pancreatic cancer cells, and evaluate the potential of PTTG1 as a therapeutic target. PTTG1 expression in pancreatic cancers was analyzed using the GEPIA databank. In the Panc1 cell with the PTTG1 knockdown or Mia-PaCa2 cells with PTTG1 overexpression, the cell proliferation was evaluated using cell viability curves and colony formation, and wound heal assay and transwell assay were performed to evaluate the migration and invasion, respectively. Furthermore, a western blot was performed to evaluate the expressions of PTTG1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and c-myc. Meanwhile, the glucose uptake, extracellular acidification rates (ECAR), and oxygen consumption rates (OCR) were analyzed. Our results showed that PTTG1 expression is upregulated in pancreatic cancer, which promoted cell proliferation. Low PTTG1 contributed to higher disease-free survival and overall survival. In Panc1 cell, PTTG1 knockdown resulted in reduced cell viability and colony formation. The migration and invasion abilities of the cells were also reduced in Panc1 with PTTG1 knockdown. Correspondingly, PTTG1 knockdown decreased c-myc expression, glucose uptake, ECAR, and OCR in Panc1 cells. In Mia-PaCa2 cells, PTTG1 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, aerobic glycolysis, and translocation of β-catenin to the nucleus by regulating c-myc. In conclusion, PTTG1 induces proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promotes aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer cells via regulating c-myc, demonstrating the potential of PTTG1 as a therapeutic target.