Abstract
Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a particularly aggressive cancer type, frequently identified at a later stage. Thus, it is crucial to enhance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that govern COAD cellular behavior and to perform extensive research into the biological foundations underlying its development, progression, invasion, and metastasis. We initially discovered NOL3 as a significant gene influencing COAD metastasis through the application of the weighted gene coexpression network analysis algorithm using the TCGA-COAD dataset. This was succeeded by an assessment of NOL3's expression levels and prognostic significance. Moreover, we investigated the biological roles of NOL3 utilizing transcriptomic data. Our results demonstrate significant associations between NOL3 and immune infiltration in COAD, as well as sensitivity to chemotherapy. Furthermore, we utilized the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm to evaluate how various cohorts responded to immune checkpoint therapies. Ultimately, the influence of NOL3 on the metastasis of COAD cells was confirmed through in vitro experiments. Our results indicate that NOL3 can promote COAD metastasis, and its underlying mechanism may be associated with DNA methylation. In summary, NOL3 has been identified by us as a key biomarker for COAD metastasis.