EYA4 Promotes Cell Proliferation Through Downregulation of p27Kip1 in Glioma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Accumulating evidence suggests that Eyes Absent Homologue 4 (EYA4) plays an important role in tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. However, the role of EYA4 in glioma development is still unclear. METHODS: The expression of EYA4 was examined in glioma tissues by immunohistochemistry. Cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed by CCK-8, BrdU assay, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found that EYA4 was upregulated in glioma, and its expression was positively correlated with advanced tumor stage. Moreover, higher expression of EYA4 predicted a worse overall survival in patients with glioma. Forced overexpression of EYA4 enhanced glioma cell proliferation, and EYA4 suppressed the expression of p27Kip1 directly in these cells. Furthermore, Six1 was required for EYA4 to suppress the expression of p27Kip1 in glioma. CONCLUSION: Together, we demonstrate that EYA4 promotes cell proliferation by directly suppressing the expression of p27Kip1 in glioma.