Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor with strong invasiveness. Given the reported involvement of DEP domain-containing protein 1B (DEPDC1B) in the progression of some cancers, its role in CRC was explored in this study. DEPDC1B expression in CRC was assessed based on database and tissue microarray (TMA). In addition, the knockdown and overexpression of DEPDC1B in CRC cell lines were constructed using small hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference. The biological function of DEPDC1B in CRC was evaluated in vitro and in vivo through loss/gain-of-function assays. The results demonstrated that DEPDC1B was highly expressed in CRC. Furthermore, DEPDC1B had the ability to promote CRC proliferation and migration coupled by cell apoptosis. In vivo results showed that DEPDC1B knockdown significantly inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors. Additionally, the results of antibody array indicated increased apoptosis-promoting proteins and decreased apoptosis-inhibiting proteins in DEPDC1B-knockdown CRC cells. In conclusion, DEPDC1B played a key driver role in CRC progression, and inhibition of its expression may be a potential target for precision medicine in CRC.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer; DEPDC1B; apoptosis; migration; proliferation.