Knockdown of DLGAP5 suppresses cell proliferation, induces G(2)/M phase arrest and apoptosis in ovarian cancer

Discs large-associated protein 5 (DLGAP5) is a microtubule-associated protein and is reported to exert oncogenic role in tumorigenesis, including lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the prognostic value and biological function of DLGAP5 in ovarian cancer (OC) still remain unclear. The present study investigated the expression pattern of DLGAP5 by searching the Oncomine microarray database. The correlation between DLGAP5 and survival prognosis of OC patients was analyzed by the online tool KM-plotter. Knockdown of DLGAP5 was achieved by transfection with small interfering RNA targeting DLGAP5 in two OC cell lines (SKOV3 and CAOV3). Cell proliferation was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony-formation assay. Flow cytometry was utilized to determine the effects of DLGAP5 on cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. The present study data showed that DLGAP5 was significantly upregulated in OC and its higher expression was associated with poor survival prognosis. Knockdown of DLGAP5 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, induced cell cycle G(2)/M phase arrest and apoptosis. Western blot analysis further demonstrated that DLGAP5 knockdown downregulated the expression of CDK1, Cyclin B1 and Bcl-2, but upregulated Bax expression. Collectively, these data demonstrate that DLGAP5 might be a promising prognostic therapeutic target for OC treatment.