SATB1 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Notch signaling pathway in colorectal cancer

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for initiation of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis, but the diver proteins of EMT remain unclear. Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) was found to be overexpressed in CRC cell lines, and its expression level was positively correlated with CRC progression. Strikingly, EMT process was regulated by SATB1, as SATB1 overexpression upregulated E-cadherin and SATB1 knockdown inhibited N-cadherin cell models. Mechanistically, SATB1 promoted EMT-mediated CRC metastasis via activation of Notch signaling pathway. Taken together, SATB1 plays a vital role in CRC metastasis and may act as a novel prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for CRC.