Pannexin 1 Mediates Gastric Cancer Cell Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition <i>via</i> Aquaporin 5

Pannexin 1 (PANX1) has been implicated in cancer emergence and progression. However, its roles in gastric cancer remain unclear. In the present study, the function and molecular mechanisms of PANX1 in gastric cancer were investigated in vitro. Two gastric cancer cell lines exhibiting low and high PANX1 expression (SNU-16 and HCG-27, respectively) were transfected using a PANX1-containing plasmid or PANX1 transcript-targeting short hairpin (sh)RNA. In addition, HCG-27 cells and PANX1-overexpressing SNU-16 cells were subjected to short interfering (si)RNA-mediated aquaporin 5 (AQP5) knockdown. In vitro cell migration (scratch) and transwell invasion assays were performed to evaluate the cell migratory and invasive abilities. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect transcripts encoding epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were conducted to quantify corresponding proteins. In SNU-16 cells, PANX1 overexpression induced conversion from round (cobblestone-like) to elongated (spindle-like) morphologies and enhanced the cell migratory and invasive abilities. PANX1 knockdown had the opposite effect in HGC-27 cells. In PANX1-overexpressing SNU-16 cells, expression of SLUG, vimentin, and AQP5 was significantly upregulated, whereas expression of E-cadherin was downregulated. In HGC-27 cells, PANX1 knockdown showed the opposite effect. In both PANX1-overexpressing SNU-16 cells and untransfected HGC-27 cells, silencing of AQP5 expression significantly inhibited PANX1-induced upregulation of SLUG and vimentin expression, as well as downregulation of E-cadherin expression and enhanced migratory and invasive abilities. In summary, elevated PANX1 expression induces gastric cancer cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the associated promotion of migratory and invasive abilities by inducing expression of AQP5, which facilitates SLUG-mediated regulation of vimentin and E-cadherin expression.