<i>ARID1A</i> knockdown triggers epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and carcinogenesis features of renal cells: role in renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Down‐regulation/mutation of AT‐rich interactive domain 1A ( ARID1A ), a novel tumor suppressor gene, has been reported in various cancers. Nevertheless, its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remained unclear and underinvestigated. We thus evaluated carcinogenesis effects of ARID1A knockdown in nonmalignant Madin‐Darby canine kidney (MDCK) renal cells using small interfering RNA (siRNA) against ARID1A (siARID1A). The siARID1A‐transfected cells had decreased cell death, increased cell proliferation, and cell cycle shift (from G 0 /G 1 to G 2 /M) compared with those transfected with controlled siRNA (siControl). Additionally, the siARID1A‐transfected cells exhibited epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) shown by greater spindle index, increased mesenchymal markers (fibronectin/vimentin), and decreased epithelial markers (E‐cadherin/zonula occludens‐1). Moreover, the siARID1A‐transfected cells had increases in migratory activity, nuclear size, self‐aggregated multicellular spheroid size, invasion capability, chemoresistance (to docetaxel), Snail family transcriptional repressor 1 expression, and TGF‐β1 secretion. All of these siARID1A‐knockdown effects on the carcinogenic features were reproducible in malignant RCC (786‐O) cells, which exhibited a higher degree of carcinogenic phenotypes compared with the nonmalignant MDCK cells. Finally, immunohistochemistry showed obvious decrease in ARID1A protein expression in human RCC tissues ( n = 23) compared with adjacent normal renal tissues ( n = 23). These data indicate that ARID1A down‐regulation triggers EMT and carcinogenesis features of renal cells in vitro , and its role in RCC could be proven in human tissues.—Somsuan, K., Peerapen, P., Boonmark, W., Plumworasawat, S., Samol, R., Sakulsak, N., Thongboonkerd, V. ARID1A knockdown triggers epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and carcinogenesis features of renal cells: role in renal cell carcinoma. FASEB J. 33, 12226‐12239 (2019). www.fasebj.org