Positive GLI1/INHBA feedback loop drives tumor progression in gastric cancer

• DOI: 10.1111/cas.16193
• Publication Date: 2024-04-27T08:54:30Z
• Authors: Jingguo Sun; Wenshuai Zhu; Muhua Luan; Yuanxin Xing; Zhaotian Feng; Jingyu Zhu; Xiaoli Ma; Yunshan Wang; Yanfei Jia
• Keywords: Feedback, Physiological; Male; 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; Helicobacter pylori; Carcinogenesis; Zinc Finger Protein GLI1; Helicobacter Infections; Up-Regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Mice; Stomach Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Disease Progression; Humans; Animals; Original Article; Cell Proliferation; Signal Transduction

AbstractGLI1, a key transcription factor of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, plays an important role in the development of cancer. However, the function and mechanisms by which GLI1 regulates gene transcription are not fully understood in gastric cancer (GC). Here, we found that GLI1 induced the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells, accompanied by transcriptional upregulation of INHBA. This increased INHBA expression exerted a promoting activity on Smads signaling and then transcriptionally activated GLI1 expression. Notably, our results demonstrate that disrupting the interaction between GLI1 and INHBA could inhibit GC tumorigenesis in vivo. More intriguingly, we confirmed the N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) activation mechanism of the Helicobacter pylori/FTO/YTHDF2/GLI1 pathway in GC cells. In conclusion, our study confirmed that the GLI1/INHBA positive feedback loop influences GC progression and revealed the mechanism by which H. pylori upregulates GLI1 expression through m6A modification. This positive GLI1/INHBA feedback loop suggests a novel noncanonical mechanism of GLI1 activity in GC and provides potential therapeutic targets for GC treatment.