Bcl2-associated athanogene 4 promotes the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB/ZEB1 axis

Bcl2-associated athanogene 4 (BAG4) has been found to be aberrantly expressed in several types of human cancers. However, little is known about its expression, role, and clinical significance in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we aimed to address these issues and to explore the underlying mechanisms. The expression level of BAG4, measured by immunohistochemistry, was significantly higher in GC tissues than in paired normal tissues. Elevated BAG4 expression was positively correlated with T stage, lymph node metastasis, and tumor size of GC and was associated with unfavorable outcomes of the patients. The overexpression of BAG4 promoted the in vitro invasion and in vivo metastasis of GC cells, and opposite results were observed after silencing of BAG4. Silencing of BAG4 significantly reduced the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and p65, whereas overexpression of BAG4 markedly enhanced the phosphorylation of these molecules. At the same time, manipulating BAG4 expression resulted in the corresponding changes in p65 nuclear translocation and ZEB1 expression. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays verified that p65 binds to the promoter of ZEB1 to upregulate its transcription. Our results demonstrate that BAG4 plays an oncogenic role in the invasion and metastasis of GC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/NF-kappa B/ZEB1 axis to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition.