SEC61G promotes colorectal cancer progression by regulating cytosolic Ca2+ concentration.

Abstract

Background: Intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling regulates key cancer processes. Research findings suggest that the SEC61 complex, involved in protein translocation, contributes to calcium leakage from the endoplasmic reticulum. However, the mechanism by which SEC61 Translocon Subunit Gamma (SEC61G), a component of this complex, influences colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remains unclear.

Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was performed using The Cancer Genome Atlas data sets to identify candidate genes on chromosome 7p, examine their association with DNA copy number amplification. In addition, SEC61G expression in CRC cells and tissues was validated using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to investigate the effects of SEC61G overexpression and knockdown on CRC cell proliferation. Furthermore, publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptome sequencing (ST-seq) data were used to validate the role of SEC61G in CRC.

Results: SEC61G was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues and was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with CRC. SEC61G overexpression enhanced cell proliferation and activated the EGFR pathway, promoting cell cycle progression from the G1 to S phase. In addition, SEC61G overexpression increased cytosolic Ca²⁺ levels, which activated EGFR signaling via calmodulin. Moreover, analyses of scRNA-seq and ST-seq data confirmed that SEC61G expression was higher in tumor epithelial cells and that it was co-expressed with EGFR pathway-related genes.

Conclusions: SEC61G promotes CRC progression by regulating cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration, EGFR activation, and cell cycle progression, highlighting its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in CRC.