Inhibition of Liver Carcinoma Cell Invasion and Metastasis by Knockdown of Cullin7 In Vitro and In Vivo

Cullin7 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase. The Cullin7 protein family functions as a molecular scaffold to coordinate substrate ubiquitination in Skp, Cullin, and F-box-containing complex (SCF complex). Cullin7s control normal development and primary cellular processes and are characterized by a unique genomic network organization. Less is known about the involvement of Cullin7 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we found that Cullin7 showed a high expression in HCC tumor tissues, especially in metastatic HCC tumor tissues. Also, there was a negative correlation between Cullin7 expression and long survival. Silencing of Cullin7 in liver cancer cells can significantly reduce the migration, invasion, and metastatic abilities. Also, detection of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker expression showed that Cullin7 promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transformation of cancer cells. The results of this study helped to elucidate the oncogene functions of Cullin7 in liver cancers.