Overexpression of FUBP1 is associated with human cervical carcinoma development and prognosis.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Far upstream element-binding protein 1 (FUBP1) has been shown to involve in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of various cancers. However, the expression and function of FUBP1 in cervical carcinoma remains unknown. MAIN METHODS: Transcriptional expression of FUBP1 was initially evaluated using the Oncomine database, followed by evaluation of FUBP1 protein levels using immunohistochemistry in 119 cervical carcinoma patient tissues. In vitro experiments were performed to assess the tumorigenic role of FUBP1. Besides, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, EnrichmentMap analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were used to evaluate the potential mechanisms of FUBP1 in promoting cervical cancer progression. KEY FUNDINGS In this research, we found both FUBP1 mRNA transcription and protein expression levels increased significantly in cervical carcinoma tissues compared with adjacent normal cervical tissues. Furthermore, elevated FUBP1 expression was positively correlated with age, T classification, N classification, tumor recurrence, Ki67 expression, and poor prognosis in cervical carcinoma patients. Besides, elevated FUBP1 expression acted as an independent unfavorable predictor for overall survival and disease-free survival in cervical carcinoma. Overexpression of FUBP1 significantly promoted cervical carcinoma cell proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis in vitro, while knockdown of FUBP1 showed the opposite effect. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis revealed that FUBP1 promoted the biological function of cervical carcinoma cells via enhancing DNA repair signal pathways. Our results demonstrate for the first time that FUBP1 is a novel prognostic factor and therapeutic target for cervical carcinoma.