Background Triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1) is closely associated with the development of various tumors, but its role in lung cancer has not been fully investigated.
Objective To explore the expression levels and biological functions of TPI1 in different types of lung cancer cell lines.
Methods The expression of TPI1 in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma tissues was analyzed using bioinformatics from the TCGA database. Quantitative PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect TPI1 expression in various lung cancer cell lines. Lentivirus-mediated stable infection technology was used to establish TPI1 knockdown cell lines in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells, squamous carcinoma Calu1 cells, and large cell lung cancer 95D cells. The knockdown efficiency was verified at the mRNA level. Cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and cell cycle were assessed by CCK-8 assay, adhesion assay, scratch assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. RNA sequencing and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were applied to explore potential mechanisms.
Results Bioinformatics analysis showed that, compared to normal lung tissues, TPI1 expression was upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma tissues (
P<0.05). Compared to the alveolar epithelial cell line HPAEpic, TPI1 was highly expressed at both the mRNA
and protein levels in lung adenocarcinoma A549, squamous carcinoma Calu1, and large cell lung cancer 95D cell lines (all P<0.05), while TPI1 expression was low at the mRNA level in the small cell lung cancer H446 cell line (P<0.05), with no significant difference at the protein level (P>0.05). After TPI1 knockdown in A549, Calu1, and 95D cells, cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and invasion abilities were significantly decreased, and cell cycle arrest occurred in the G0/G1 phase (all P<0.05). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways.Conclusion TPI1 is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma A549, squamous carcinoma Calu1, and large cell lung cancer 95D cell lines, and may regulate cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and cell cycle through the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways, promoting lung cancer development.