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Epidermal growth factor receptor-coamplified and overexpressed protein (VOPP1) is a putative oncogene in gastric cancer

Clinical and Experimental Medicine volume 15, pages 469–475 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

MicroRNAs are found to play an important role in gastric cancer. Reduced expression of microRNA-218 (miR-218) is of key interest. The target gene of microRNA-218, epidermal growth factor receptor-coamplified and overexpressed protein (ECOP) encoded by the VOPP1 gene, has been implicated in tumorigenesis. However, few studies on expression and function of ECOP in gastric cancer have been reported. ECOP expression was determined in matched normal and gastric adenocarcinoma tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Subsequently, ectopic overexpression and RNAi-mediated silencing of VOPP1 was effected in the human gastric cancer cell line, AGS. Proliferation and migration of parental, VOPP1 overexpressing and VOPP1-silenced AGS cells were evaluated by cell proliferation assay and scratch wound-healing motility assay. Finally, intracellular localization of ECOP in AGS cells was assessed by green fluorescent protein tagging and fluorescent microscopy. Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed overexpression of ECOP in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues compared to matched normal tissue specimens. Ectopic overexpression and RNAi-mediated silencing of VOPP1 promoted and inhibited, respectively, cell proliferation and migration in AGS cells. Intracellular localization of ECOP in perinuclear lysosomes mimicked colocalization earlier reported for other cancerous cells. VOPP1 is overexpressed in gastric adenocarcinoma, which is involved in promoting cell proliferation and migration and thus might serve as a putative oncogene.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Zhenglin Yang (Center for Human Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital) and Prof. Yan Peng (Department of Gastroenterology, Luzhou Medical College) for their excellent technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

None.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 32 Xierduan, Chengdu, 610072, Sichuan Province, China

    Caiping Gao, Zhou Zhou, Size Long, Chumin Zhang, Shengxi Han & Liangping Li

  2. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

    Minghui Pang

  3. Department of Pathology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

    Dandan Dong

  4. Center for Human Molecular Biology and Genetics, The Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

    Jiyun Yang

  5. Centralab, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

    Mei Cao

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  1. Caiping Gao
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  2. Minghui Pang
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  3. Zhou Zhou
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  4. Size Long
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  5. Dandan Dong
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  7. Mei Cao
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  8. Chumin Zhang
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  9. Shengxi Han
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  10. Liangping Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liangping Li.

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Caiping Gao and Minghui Pang have contributed equally to this work.

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Gao, C., Pang, M., Zhou, Z. et al. Epidermal growth factor receptor-coamplified and overexpressed protein (VOPP1) is a putative oncogene in gastric cancer. Clin Exp Med 15, 469–475 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-014-0320-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-014-0320-7

Keywords

  • ECOP
  • Gastric cancer
  • Lysosomes
  • Migration
  • Proliferation