MARVELD1 Promotes the Invasiveness in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma through the Activation of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

Background: MARVEL domain-containing 1 (MARVELD1) has been implicated in the progression of several cancers, but its role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains poorly understood.

Methods: RNA-seq data from the TCGA-PAAD and GTEx-Pancreas cohorts were analyzed to assess MARVELD1 expression. Stable MARVELD1 knockdown and overexpression were conducted in BxPC3 and PANC-1 cells. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated using functional assays, and western blotting was employed to examine EMT-associated protein levels, including Vimentin, MMP2, MMP9, and E-cadherin. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between MARVELD1-high and MARVELD1-low groups were identified, and pathway enrichment analyses were performed.

Results: We observed a significant increase of MARVELD1 in PAAD patient samples, with elevated MARVELD1 levels correlating with poor clinical survival. Knockdown of MARVELD1 in PAAD cells remarkably decreased cell proliferation and colony formation, while overexpression of MARVELD1 enhanced these properties. Moreover, simulated cell invasion and migration assay further suggested that MARVELD1 might contribute to PAAD cell aggressiveness. Mechanistically, MARVELD1 promoted tumor cell migration and invasion through the activation of Vimentin, MMP2, and MMP9 protein while suppressing E-cadherin. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that MARVELD1-high samples were enriched in EMT-related pathways, including TGF-β receptor signaling, actin cytoskeleton regulation, and cell adhesion.

Conclusion: Taken together, our study highlights the roles of MARVELD1 in promoting tumor cell proliferation and invasion, suggesting its potential application as a prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for PAAD in the clinical context.