Journal: Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine
Article Title: CDX2-UPK1B-PIK3IP1-PI3K/AKT signaling axis regulates gastric cancer cell invasion and migration and influences patient prognosis
doi: 10.3892/etm.2026.13179
Figure Lengend Snippet: UPK1B activates PI3K/AKT signaling by antagonizing the inhibitory regulator PIK3IP1 in gastric cancer cells. (A) Venn diagram showing that PIK3IP1 was identified as a putative UPK1B-interacting partner based on BioGRID and HIPPIE protein-protein interaction databases. (B) UPK1B and PIK3IP1 co-localized in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane of MKN45 cells. (C) Interaction between UPK1B and PIK3IP1 in MKN45 cells. (D) Knockdown of PIK3IP1 in MKN45 cells. (E) Silencing PIK3IP1 in UPK1B-knockdown MKN45 cells restored PI3K/AKT pathway activation. Knockdown of PIK3IP1 reversed the decrease in (F) migration/invasion and (G) wound-healing capacity in UPK1B-silenced MKN45 cells. UPK1B, uroplakin 1B; p-, phosphorylated; si, small interfering RNA; sh, short hairpin RNA; NC, negative control; PIK3IP1, PI3K inhibitor interacting protein 1; HIPPIE, Human Integrated Protein-Protein Interaction Reference; IP, immunoprecipitation.
Article Snippet: Cells were also transfected with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting CDX2 or PIK3IP1 , with a universal non-targeting scrambled siRNA (si-NC) as the negative control , obtained from GeneChem, Inc. For UPK1B and CDX2 overexpression, the p-TSB-CMV-UPK1B and p-TSB-CMV-CDX2 expression vectors [Shanghai Genomeditech Co., Ltd.] and the corresponding empty p-TSB-CMV vector (negative control) were used.
Techniques: Clinical Proteomics, Membrane, Knockdown, Activation Assay, Migration, Small Interfering RNA, shRNA, Negative Control, Immunoprecipitation