Previous studies have revealed that abnormal expressions of membrane transporters were associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). We herein performed a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to identify the key transporter protein-related genes involved in CRC and potential mechanisms. Differentially expressed transporter protein-related genes (DE-TPRGs) were identified from CRC and normal samples using The Cancer Genome Atlas database. SLC38A3 expression was validated by immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR, and the potential mechanism was explored. A total of 63 DE-TPRGs (29 up-regulated and 34 down-regulated) were screened. Inside, ABCC2, ABCG2, SLC4A4, SLC9A3, SLC15A1, and SLC38A3 were identified as hub genes. SLC38A3 is indeed upregulated in colorectal cancer patients. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of SLC38A3 inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCT116 cells, and Hsp70 ATPase activator could rescue it. Overall, SLC38A3 is a novel potential biomarker involved in CRC progression and promotes the proliferation and migration of tumor cells by positively regulating the function of Hsp70.

中文翻译：

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SLC38A3促进肿瘤细胞的增殖和迁移并预测结直肠癌的不良预后


先前的研究表明，膜转运蛋白的异常表达与结直肠癌（CRC）有关。我们在此进行了全面的生物信息学分析，以确定参与 CRC 的关键转运蛋白相关基因和潜在机制。使用癌症基因组图谱数据库从 CRC 和正常样本中鉴定出差异表达的转运蛋白相关基因 (DE-TPRG)。通过免疫组织化学和RT-qPCR验证SLC38A3的表达，并探讨其潜在机制。总共筛选了 63 个 DE-TPRG（29 个上调和 34 个下调）。在内部，ABCC2、ABCG2、SLC4A4、SLC9A3、SLC15A1 和 SLC38A3 被确定为枢纽基因。 SLC38A3 在结直肠癌患者中确实表达上调。此外，我们发现敲低SLC38A3会抑制HCT116细胞的增殖和迁移，而Hsp70 ATPase激活剂可以挽救这种情况。总体而言，SLC38A3是一种参与CRC进展的新型潜在生物标志物，并通过正向调节Hsp70的功能来促进肿瘤细胞的增殖和迁移。