WAVE3 Promotes Glioma Cells Migration and Invasion via EMT

Abstract

Background: Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome verprolin-homologous (WAVE) 3 was shown to be an oncogene that is highly expressed in multiple tumors, and it had been reported to be involved in metastatic diseases. However, the expression profile of WAVE3 and its biological role in glioma remain unknown. The aim of the study was to uncover the effect of WAVE3 on glioma migration and metastatic disease. Methods: Four glioma cell lines and 90 human glioma samples were used for immunohistochemical and western blot assays in this study to evaluate the expression profile of WAVE3. The correlation between WAVE3 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with glioma and the function of WAVE3 played in regulating migration, invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in glioma cell lines were checked. Results: WAVE3 gene was significantly expressed in glioma tissues and four glioma cells, especially in high-grade glioma tissues and U87 cells. Patients with high WAVE3 expression exhibited shorter survival times than those with low WAVE3 expression, according to Kaplan–Meier analysis (p < 0.01). Silencing WAVE3 in U87 cells was found to prevent cell migration and invasion, whereas overexpressing WAVE3 in LN229 cells had the opposite effect. WAVE3 was shown to induce EMT and activate p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Conclusions: WAVE3 promotes glioma cells migration and invasion via EMT, and activation of MAPK/p38 signaling was involved in the underlying mechanism.