Targeting STT3A produces an anti-tumor effect in lung adenocarcinoma by blocking the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Background: Glycosylation is crucial for the stability and biological functions of proteins. The aberrant glycosylation of critical proteins plays an important role in multiple cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). STT3 oligosaccharyltransferase complex catalytic subunit A (STT3A) is a major isoform of N-linked glycosyltransferase that catalyzes the glycosylation of various proteins. However, the functions of STT3A in LUAD are still unclear.

Methods: The expression profiles of STT3A were initially analyzed in public data sets and then validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry assays in clinical LUAD samples. The overall survival (OS) between patients with high and low STT3A expression was compared using a Kaplan-Meier curve with a log-rank analysis. STT3A was knocked-out using CRISPR/Cas9 and inhibited by NGI-1. Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation assay, wound-healing, transwell assay, and flow cytometry were performed to assess the cellular functions of STT3A . A mice xenograft model was established to investigate the effects of STT3A on tumor growth . Further, the downstream signaling pathways of STT3A were screened by mass spectrometry with a bioinformatics analysis, and the activation of the target pathways were subsequently validated by Western blot.

Results: The expression of STT3A was frequently upregulated in LUAD tissues than normal lung tissues. The high expression of STT3A was significantly associated with poor OS in LUAD patients. The knockout or inhibition of STT3A suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion, and arrested the cell cycle of LUAD cell lines . Similarly, the knockout or inhibition of STT3A suppressed tumor growth . In terms of molecular mechanism, STT3A may promote LUAD progression by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathways and regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Conclusions: STT3A promotes LUAD progression via the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and could serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for LUAD patients.