High expression of Tob1 indicates poor survival outcome and promotes tumour progression via a Wnt positive feedback loop in colon cancer

Tob1, a Tob/BTG anti-proliferative protein family member, functions as a tumour suppressor in many cancers. Here, we reveal a unique oncogenic role of Tob1 in colon cancer. Tob1 expression was upregulated during colon cancer progression, was significantly correlated with tumour size and tumour differentiation, and was a prognostic indicator of colon cancer. Unlike in other cancers, where nuclear Tob1 performs anticancer activity, Tob1 is predominantly localized in the cytosol of colon cancer cells, where this protein binds and stabilizes β-catenin to activate Wnt/β-catenin signalling, which in turn enhances Tob1 expression, thus forming a positive feedback loop to promote cell proliferation. Moreover, Tob1 deficiency led to reduced tumourigenesis in AOM/DSS-treated and Apc(Min/+) mice. Our findings provide important insights into a previously unrecognized oncogenic role of Tob1 in colon cancer and suggest that Tob1 is an adverse prognostic factor and therapeutic target for colon cancer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12943-018-0907-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.