NUSAP1 promotes the metastasis of breast cancer cells via the AMPK/PPARγ signaling pathway

Background: The biological function and molecular mechanism of nucleolar spindle-associated protein 1 (NUSAP1) in breast cancer remain controversial, this study aimed to reveal the mechanism of NUSAP1 in breast cancer cell metastasis and survival. Methods: The expression of NUSAP1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in breast tissue samples. The correlation of NUSAP1 expression with the clinicopathological parameters of the patients and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. The protein expression was detected by Western blotting, the cell proliferation was evaluated by Edu staining and MTT assay, migration and invasion were tested by transwell and migration assay. Female BALB/c nude mice models for tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer were evaluated in vivo. Results: NUSAP1 is up-regulated in multiple cancers and is associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Further analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and our included patients revealed that NUSAP1 expression gradually increased with pathological changes in breast tissue. Cell function assays confirmed that NUSAP1 was related to the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. In vivo, NUSAP1 promoted lung metastasis in nude mice. We found that the NUSAP1 protein can promote tumor proliferation and metastasis by activating the AMPK/PPART signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our findings show that NUSAP1 promotes breast cancer proliferation and metastasis by activating the AMPK/PPAR gamma signaling pathway.