Activated PARP1/FAK/COL5A1 signaling facilitates the tumorigenesis of cholesterol-resistant ovarian cancer cells through promoting EMT

Cancer cells require plentiful cholesterol for membrane biogenesis and other functional needs due to fast proliferating, leading to the interaction of cholesterol or its metabolites with cancer-related pathways. However, the impact of long-lasting high cholesterol concentrations on tumorigenesis and its underlying mechanisms remains largely unexplored. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to establish a cholesterol-resistant ovarian cancer cells, whose intracellular total cholesterol level up to 6–8 mmol/L. We confirmed that high cholesterol facilitated the progression of ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo. Notably, our findings revealed significant upregulation of collagen type V alpha 1 chain (COL5A1) expression in cholesterol-resistant ovarian cancer cells and human ovarian cancer tissue, which was depended on FAK/Src activation. Mechanistically, PARP1 directly bound to FAK in response to activate FAK/Src/COL5A1 signaling. Intriguingly, COL5A1 depletion significantly impeded the tumorigenesis of these cells, concomitant with a decrease in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression. In conclusion, PARP1/FAK/COL5A1 signaling activation facilitated progression of cholesterol-resistant ovarian cancer cells by promoting EMT, thereby broadening a new therapeutic opportunity.