NUDT21 interacts with NDUFS2 to activate the PI3K/AKT pathway and promotes pancreatic cancer pathogenesis

Background: NUDT21 (Nudix Hydrolase 21) has been shown to play an essential role in multiple biological processes. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is one of the most fatal cancers in the world. However, the biological function of NUDT21 in PAAD remains rarely understood. The aim of this research was to identify the prediction value of NUDT21 in diagnosis, prognosis, immune infiltration, and signal pathway in PAAD.

Methods: Combined with the data in online databases, we analyzed the expression, immune infiltration, function enrichment, signal pathway, diagnosis, and prognosis of NUDT21 in PAAD. Then, the biological function of NUDT21 and its interacted protein in PAAD was identified through plasmid transduction system and protein mass spectrometry. Expression of NUDT21 was further verified in clinical specimens by immunofluorescence.

Results: We found that NUDT21 was upregulated in PAAD tissues and was significantly associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer through bioinformatic data analysis. We also found that overexpression of NUDT21 enhanced PAAD cells proliferation and migration, whereas knockdown NUDT21 restored the effects through in vitro experiment. Moreover, NDUFS2 was recognized as a potential target of NUDT21.We further verified that the expression of NDUFS2 was positively correlated with NUDT21 in PAAD clinical specimens. Mechanically, we found that NUDT21 stabilizes NDUFS2 and activates the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusion: Our investigation reveals that NUDT21 is a previously unrecognized oncogenic factor in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment target of PAAD, and we suggest that NUDT21 might be a novel therapeutic target in PAAD.