Kindlin-2 suppresses cervical cancer cell migration through AKT/mTOR-mediated autophagy induction

Kindlin-2 plays a carcinogenic or tumor-suppressor role in various tumors. However, its role in cervical cancer remains unclear. In the present study, kindlin-2 expression was first analyzed using public expression data and clinical specimens. It was revealed that kindlin-2 was downregulated in cervical cancer tissues, and low expression of kindlin-2 was associated with poor disease-free survival. In addition, kindlin-2 was overexpressed and knocked down in two cell lines to study its effect in cervical cancer cells. The results revealed that kindlin-2 promoted cell autophagy and inactivated AKT/mTOR signaling. Rescue experiments indicated that the regulation of autophagy by kindlin-2 was dependent on the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, it was revealed that kindlin-2 inhibited cell migration, and autophagy was required for this process. Collectively, these findings revealed the role and mechanism of kindlin-2 in the autophagy and migration of cervical cancer cells.