Human SQSTM1 Stable Cell Line - HCT 116

p62 is a canonical autophagy receptor encoded by the SQSTM1 gene. Existing evidence indicates that p62 is upregulated in various cancers-such as liver and lung cancers-and promotes tumor growth. However, a recent study revealed that, conversely, the downregulation of p62 in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) actually facilitates the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, researchers employed immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess p62 expression levels in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. The results demonstrated that p62 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues, and that high levels of p62 constituted an independent risk factor associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Subsequently, the researchers successfully established an HCT116 cell line stably overexpressing p62 and an SW480 cell line with stable p62 knockdown. In vitro experiments confirmed that p62 enhances the migratory and invasive capabilities of CRC cells by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting cell proliferation. In vivo experiments further indicated that p62 exacerbates tumor growth and metastasis. Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays suggested that p62 interacts with VDR and may exert its biological functions by modulating the NRF2-NQO1 signaling axis.

Here, researchers evaluated the oncogenic role of p62 in promoting cell invasion and migration in colorectal cancer (CRC). Transwell assays revealed that the invasive and migratory capabilities were significantly enhanced in p62-overexpressing HCT116 cells (Figure 1A). Conversely, in p62 knockdown SW480 cells, the invasive and migratory capabilities exhibited a diametrically opposite pattern (Figure 1B). Furthermore, monolayer wound-healing assays demonstrated that p62 overexpression significantly boosted the migratory capacity of HCT116 cells (Figure 1C), whereas p62 knockdown in SW480 cells inhibited their migratory capacity (Figure 1D). These results suggest that p62 enhances the invasive and migratory capabilities of colorectal cancer cells.

Figure 1. p62 promotes the invasion and migration abilities in CRC cell lines. (Zhang J, et al., 2019)