FAT1 downregulation enhances stemness and cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Primary or acquired drug resistance accounts for the failure of chemotherapy and cancer recurrence in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the aberrant mechanisms driving drug resistance are not fully understood in ESCC. In our previous study, FAT Atypical Cadherin 1 (FAT1) was found to inhibit the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in ESCC. EMT plays a critical role in the development of drug resistance in multiple cancer types. Besides, it equips cancer cells with cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characters that also are associated with chemotherapy resistance. Whether FAT1 regulates the stemness or drug resistance of ESCC cells is worth being explored. Here we found that FAT1 was downregulated in ESCC spheres and negatively correlated with stemness-associated markers including ALDH1A1 and KLF4. Knocking down FAT1 enhanced the sphere-forming ability, resistance to cisplatin and drug efflux of ESCC cells. Additionally, FAT1 knockdown upregulated the expression of drug resistance-related gene ABCC3. Furtherly, we found FAT1 knockdown induced the translocation of β-catenin into nucleus and enhanced its transcriptional activity. The result of ChIP showed that β-catenin was enriched in ABCC3 promoter. Furthermore, β-catenin promoted expression of ABCC3. In conclusion, FAT1 knockdown might enhance the stemness and ABCC3-related cisplatin resistance of ESCC cells via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. FAT1 and its downstream gene ABCC3 might be potential targets for overcoming chemoresistance in ESCC.