Six1 promotes glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion by upregulation of connective tissue growth factor.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest and most common form of malignant primary brain tumor in humans. However, until now, little is known about the glioma genesis and progression at the molecular level. Here we report that overexpression of sine oculis homeobox homolog 1 (Six1), a developmental transcription factor implicated in tumor onset and progression, can significantly promote glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasion by upregulating connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Our results revealed that expression of Six1 mRNA was increased and small hairpin RNAi silencing of Six1 could dramatically inhibit cell proliferation and invasion in GBM. Moreover, it was found that CTGF gene could be transcriptionally regulated by Six1. Its overexpression induced CTGF up-regulation in GBM at both the mRNA and protein level, and significantly enhanced the activity of CTGF promoter in these tumor cells, while decreasing CTGF expression impeded Six1-induced cell proliferation and invasion, revealing that CTGF is required for Six1-mediated GBM growth and metastasis. Collectively, these findings suggest that Six1 overexpression may contribute to cell proliferation and invasion via upregulation of CTGF in GBM. Our study provides new insights into the important roles of Six1 and CTGF in tumor regulation, suggesting that Six1 might be a potential therapeutic target for preventing proliferation and metastasis of GBM.