FHL2 Facilitates LUSC Growth and Therapy Resistance through PI3K/AKT/mTOR Activation.

Abstract

Four and a half LIM domains protein 2 (FHL2) acts as a crucial role in tumorigenesis and progression. This study explored its involvement in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Bioinformatics analysis assessed FHL2 expression and survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Subsequently, immunohistochemistry (IHC), qPCR, and Western blotting (WB) were performed to assess FHL2 levels in LUSC tissue microarrays (TMA) and cell lines. In vitro, CCK-8, plate colony formation, wound healing, and Matrigel Transwell assays were conducted to investigate the effects of FHL2 on LUSC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In vivo, xenograft tumor models were utilized to evaluate the role of FHL2 in LUSC progression. Mechanistically, immunoprecipitation (IP) and proximity ligation assays (PLA) were performed to explore the interaction between FHL2 and c-Jun. The cycloheximide (CHX) chase assay was conducted to assess c-Jun stability in the context of FHL2 overexpression or knockdown. The influence of differential FHL2 expression on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR (PAM) signaling pathway was analyzed via WB. Furthermore, xenograft tumor models, WB, and IHC were employed to determine whether FHL2 mediates LUSC resistance to afatinib. FHL2 expression was significantly upregulated in LUSC tissues, as demonstrated by the TCGA database analysis and validated through IHC staining of TMA. Moreover, elevated FHL2 expression was correlated with poor prognosis in LUSC patients. FHL2 overexpression enhanced LUSC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro while accelerating xenograft tumor growth in vivo. In contrast, FHL2 knockdown exhibited the opposite effects. Mechanistically, FHL2 interacts with c-Jun and suppresses its ubiquitination, thereby stabilizing the c-Jun protein, upregulating PDK1 expression, and subsequently activating the PAM signaling pathway. Notably, FHL2 overexpression induced afatinib resistance in LUSC cells, and patients with afatinib resistance exhibited high levels of FHL2 expression. Our results demonstrate that FHL2 promotes LUSC progression and induces afatinib resistance by regulating the PAM signaling pathway. FHL2 may serve as a crucial prognostic marker for the survival outcomes of LUSC patients and a promising therapeutic target for their treatment.