PYCR1 is Associated with Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma Progression

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the function of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1) on progression of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) and related mechanism. METHODS: The TCGA database provided us expression profiles of PYCR1 and overall survival rates. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to knockdown PYCR1; quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were conducted to identify the expression levels of mRNA and protein. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were used to explore cell viability in Ketr-3 cells. The migration and invasion of Ketr-3 cells were investigated by transwell assays. RESULTS: We found that PYCR1 was over-expressed in PRCC tissues and cells, causing poor outcomes. Moreover, reduction of PYCR1 played a negative role on cell proliferation, migration and invasion in tumor cells. The important Akt/mTOR pathway proteins, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), also showed lower levels compared with control groups. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that disordered expression of PYCR1 could modulate PRCC progression through the Akt/mTOR pathway, implying a theoretical basis for PYCR1 as a potential therapeutic target in future clinical PRCC treatment.