Targeted silencing of MYCL1 by RNA interference inhibits migration and invasion of MGC-803 gastric cancer cells

MYCL1 protein expression encoded by a proto-oncogene MYCL1, a member of the MYC family, is correlated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. Nevertheless, the role of MYCL1 in gastric cancer cells remains unknown. In this study, the expression levels of MYCL1 mRNA and protein were downregulated by lentiviral-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) in the MGC-803 gastric cancer cell line. Then, the influence of MYCL1 on the biological behaviour of gastric cancer cells was investigated. Finally, a stable animal model of the MGC-803 human gastric cancer tumour model in nude mice was made successfully. Functionally, silencing of MYCL1 inhibited migration and invasion of the MGC-803 line in vitro and was accompanied with some ultrastructural changes. These results provide some evidences that lentiviral-mediated MYCL1 silencing may be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in China. Our previous study revealed that expression of MYCL1 in gastric cancer tissue was associated with poor prognosis of patients. However, the potential underlying mechanism is still unclear. In the current study, we displayed the influence of MYCL1 gene on invasion and migration phenotype of gastric cancer cells and provided a possible explanation from the aspect of structural alteration. Our results suggested that downregulation of MYCL1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.