FOXJ1 promotes bladder cancer cell growth and regulates Warburg effect.

Forkhead Box J1 (FOXJ1) which belongs to Fox gene family, plays complex and crucial roles in processes of development, organogenesis, regulation of the immune system, as well as progression of several malignancies. However, how FOXJ1 functions in bladder cancer remains unclear. Here, we report that FOXJ1 is upregulated in most bladder cancer patients, and predicts poor clinical outcomes. FOXJ1 facilitates bladder cancer cell proliferation and colony formation. FOXJ1 knockdown suppresses bladder tumor growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, FOXJ1 enhances glycolysis by increasing glucose uptake, lactate production and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), and decreasing ATP generation and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in bladder cancer cells. Our findings provide clues regarding the role of FOXJ1 as a tumor inducer in bladder cancer and an enhancer in glycolysis. Targeting FOXJ1 could be a potential therapeutic strategy in bladder cancer.