G3BP1 contributes to tumor metastasis via upregulation of Slug expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

RasGAP SH3-domain-Binding Protein 1 (G3BP1) has been implicated in cell growth, migration, and metastasis of some cancers, yet its function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be explored. In the present study, we reported that G3BP1 was upregulated in HCC tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues both in mRNA and protein levels, and its high expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Functional analyses demonstrated that forced expression of G3BP1 in HCC cells promoted cell migration, and silenced expression of G3BP1 by RNA interference caused opposite effects.