Upregulated gene 11 (URG11), a new gene upregulated by
hepatitis B virus X protein, is involved in the development and progression of several
tumors, including liver, stomach, lung, and
colon cancers. However, the role of URG11 in
prostate cancer remains yet to be elucidated. By determined expression in human
prostate cancer tissues, URG11 was found significantly upregulated and positively correlated with the severity of
prostate cancer, compared with that in
benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues. Further, the
mRNA and
protein levels of URG11 were significantly upregulated in human
prostate cancer cell lines (DU145, PC3, and LNCaP), compared with human prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE-1). Moreover, by the application of
siRNA against URG11, the proliferation, migration, and invasion of
prostate cancer cells were markedly inhibited. Genetic knockdown of URG11 also induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase, induced apoptosis, and decreased the expression level of β-
catenin in
prostate cancer cells. Overexpression of URG11 promoted the expression of β-
catenin, the growth, the migration, and invasion ability of
prostate cancer cells. Taken together, this study reveals that URG11 is critical for the proliferation, migration, and invasion in
prostate cancer cells, providing the evidence of URG11 to be a novel potential therapeutic target of
prostate cancer.