SOX1 inhibits breast cancer cell growth and invasion through suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is common in human cancers. Several studies have demonstrated that SRY (sex-determining region Y)-box (SOX) family genes serve as either tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes by regulating the Wnt signaling pathway in different cancers. However, the role of SOX1 in breast cancer and the underlying mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the effect and mechanism of SOX1 on the breasted cancer cell growth and invasion. In this study, we established overexpressed SOX1 and investigated its function by in vitro experiments. SOX1 was down-regulated in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of SOX1 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in vitro, and it promoted cell apoptosis. Furthermore, SOX1 inhibited the expression of β-catenin, cyclin D1, and c-Myc in breast cancer cells. Taken together, these data suggest that SOX1 can function as a tumor suppressor partly by interfering with Wnt/β-catenin signaling in breast cancer.