Functional analysis of PHLDA2 in ovarian cancer: Effects on tumor cell behavior and autophagy
We aimed to explore the effect of PHLDA2 on the biological behavior of ovarian cancer (OC) cell in vitro. Validation of PHLDA2 mRNA expression based on the analysis from GEPIA was performed on clinical OC tissues using qPCR. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of PHLDA2 was conducted in OC cells to investigate its potential functions. Afterwards, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were examined. Moreover, the autophagy level was assessed by the expression of LC3 and P62. The associated protein expression was determined using Western blot. PHLDA2 was highly expressed in OC tissues and cells. PHLDA2 knockdown repressed the cell viability and clone-forming ability of OC cells. PHLDA2 knockdown inhibited migration and invasion, as well as the protein expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2 in OC cells. Moreover, LC3 expression was elevated and P62 expression was reduced after PHLDA2 knockdown. Western blot detection further showed decreased phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR in PHLDA2-knockdown cells. These findings reveal that knockdown of PHLDA2 suppresses OC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while promoting autophagy and inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, suggesting that PHLDA2 may contribute to OC progression.