Abstract
The occurrence of metastasis is a major factor contributing to poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. Different stages of the disease play a crucial role in distant metastasis. Furthermore, m6A has been demonstrated to play a significant role in regulating tumor metastasis. Therefore, we conducted an analysis of transcriptome data from high-stage and low-stage colorectal cancer patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify genes associated with m6A-related regulation. We identified SYNPO2L as a core gene regulated by m6A, and it is correlated with adverse prognosis and metastasis in patients. Additionally, we demonstrated that the m6A writer gene Mettl16 can regulate the stability of SYNPO2L through interaction with YTHDC1. Subsequently, using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), we discovered that SYNPO2L can regulate COL10A1, mediating the actions of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts. SYNPO2L promotes the secretion of COL10A1 and the infiltration of tumor-associated fibroblasts, thereby facilitating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in tumor cells and making them more prone to distant metastasis.