Tripartite motif-containing 29 (TRIM29), also known as
ataxia-telangiectasia group D, is structurally a member of the tripartite motif family of
proteins, which characterized by the conserved RING finger, B-box, and coiled-coil domains. TRIM29 functions as an oncogene or a
tumor suppressor depending on the
tumor types. In this study, we aim to evaluate whether TRIM29 affects the
tumorigenesis and progression of
colorectal cancer. The expression of TRIM29 was investigated using real-time PCR in 40 pairs of
colorectal cancer tissues and immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 203 cases of primary
colorectal cancer paired with non-cancerous tissues. Down-regulation of TRIM29 was achieved by transient transfection in RKO cell lines, and the effects of TRIM29 on
tumor proliferation were evaluated by MTT and plate colony formation assays. Results indicated that TRIM29 expression was much higher in
colorectal cancer tissues and significantly associated with the depth of
tumor invasion,
lymph node metastasis, distant
metastasis, histological differentiation, vascular invasion, ki-67 index, and advanced
tumor stage. Patients with TRIM29-positive
tumors had a higher recurrence rate and poorer survival than patients with TRIM29-negative
tumors. In multivariate analyses, the TRIM29 expression was an independent factor for determining
colorectal cancer prognosis after surgery. Moreover, down-regulation of TRIM29 inhibited
tumor cell proliferation in vitro. In conclusion, TRIM29 plays an important role in promoting
colorectal cancer progression. Our findings suggest that TRIM29 may serve as a novel
biomarker for
tumor recurrence and survival for
colorectal cancer patients.