ZNF516 suppresses stem cell-like characteristics by regulating the transcription of Sox2 in colorectal cancer

This study aimed to explore the biological function and the molecular mechanism of the action of zincfinger protein 516 (ZNF516) in suppressing stem cell-like characteristics and tumor progression in colorectal cancer (CRC). The expression profiles of ZNF516 in clinical samples and from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) CRC database were analyzed. Cell transfection was used to overexpress and knockdown ZNF516 in CRC cells. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assays, transwell assays and flow cytometry were used to study cell proliferation, invasion and stem cell-like characteristics, respectively. Cycloheximide (CHX) was used to examine the effect of ZNF516 expression on Sox2 degradation. Finally, the effects of ZNF516 on tumor growth and metastasis were tested on xenograft tumor models and lung metastasis models in immunocompromised mice. We found that the expression level of ZNF516 was lower in TCGA CRC tissue and clinical CRC samples compared with that in normal colorectal mucosal cells. Overexpression of ZNF516 in CRC cells inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, whereas ZNF516 knockdown showed the opposite effects. In addition, ZNF516 overexpression inhibited the sphere-forming ability of CRC cells and suppressed the expression of CD133, CD44 and Oct4 in CRC cells. ZNF516 decreased the stability of Sox2 through a mechanism mediated by EGFR. By in vivo experiments using mouse tumor models, we further confirmed that ZNF516 attenuated tumor growth and alleviated lung metastasis in mice. In conclusion, ZNF516 functions as a tumor suppressor by regulating the transcription of Sox2 to inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, and the development of stem cell-like characteristics in CRC cells.