Ribosome production factor 2 homolog promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition via AKT/Gsk-3β signaling pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract, and its prognosis is closely related to the degree of tumor invasion and metastasis. Ribosome production factor 2 homolog (RPF2) plays an important role in the process of ribosome biogenesis; however, its biological function in the progression of malignant tumors including CRC remains unknown. It was found that RPF2 expression was significantly higher in CRC tissues than in the adjacent normal tissue, using mRNA chip technology. This study aimed to explore the role of RPF2 in the invasion and migration of CRC cells and investigate its probable molecular mechanism. The results demonstrated that RPF2 is not only highly expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines but can also activate the AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway through direct interaction with CARM1, promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and consequently enhancing the migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we speculated that RPF2 may become a novel therapeutic target for suppression of local invasion and distant metastasis of CRC.