Regulation of the RhoA/ROCK/AKT/β-catenin pathway by arginine-specific ADP-ribosytransferases 1 promotes migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colon carcinoma.

Arginine-specific ADP-ribosytransferases 1 (ART1) is able to modify the arginine of specific proteins by mono-ADP-ribosylation. We previously reported that the expression of ART1 in human colon adenocarcinoma tissues was higher than in adjacent tissues. Herein, we primarily revealed that ART1 could regulate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and, therefore, the development of colon carcinoma. In CT26 cells, which overexpressed ART1 by lentiviral transfection, the following were promoted: alterations of spindle-like non-polarization, expression of EMT inducers and mesenchymal markers, migration, invasion and adhesion. However, epithelial marker expression was decreased. Correspondingly, knockdown of ART1 in CT26 cells had the opposite effects. The effect of ART1 on EMT and carcinoma metastasis was also verified in a liver metastasis model of BALB/c mice. To further explore the molecular mechanism of ART1 in EMT, CT26 cells were treated with several specific inhibitors and gene silencing. Our data suggest that ART1 could regulate EMT by regulating the RhoA/ROCK1/AKT/β-catenin pathway and its downstream factors (snail1, vimentin, N-cadherin and E-cadherin) and that it therefore plays an important role in the progression of colon carcinoma.