S100A14, a mediator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, regulates proliferation, migration and invasion of human cervical cancer cells

S100A14 is an EF-hand calcium-binding protein that has been reported to exert its biological effects on different types of cells. However, the potential clinical significance and biological functions of S100A14 in cervical cancer has not yet been clarified. In this study, we firstly examined the correlation between S100A14 expression and clinical-pathological parameters in cervical cancers. Next, we observed the effect of S100A14 on cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, migration and invasion by employing lentiviral-mediated overexpression and knockdown of S100A14 in cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, we investigated the underlying mechanism of S100A14 affecting cell migration and invasion. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated that S100A14 expression was associated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P = 0.025) and lymph node (LN) metastasis (P = 0.001). Functional assays showed that S100A14 overexpression increased the proportion of G2/M phase, promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas S100A14 knockdown exhibited adverse effect on above properties. Mechanistic investigation demonstrated that S100A14 can act as a mediator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). And overexpression of S100A14 increased expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin while decreased expression of E-cadherin. The opposite results were observed in S100A14-silenced cells. Taken together, our data indicate that S100A14 has a crucial role in cervical cancer progression. This study significantly increases our understanding of S100A14 functional roles in cervical cancer, which may lead to the development of a novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer.