SLC25A45 as a prognostic biomarker promotes malignant progression via mutant p53 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Background SLC25A45 belongs to the mitochondrial trimethyllysine carrier protein family. To date, its role in tumor development has not been fully elucidated. Previous studies have demonstrated its pro-tumor function in ovarian cancer; however, research on the expression characteristics, biological roles and underlying regulatory pathways of SLC25A45 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited. This study aims to explore the expression, functional roles, and regulatory pathways of SLC25A45 in HCC. Methods This study examined SLC25A45 expression and clinical relevance in HCC using publicly available transcriptomic data. SLC25A45 knockdown cell lines were constructed using PLC/PRF/5, Huh7, and Huh1 cells. Functional assays, including cell proliferation and colony formation assays, were then conducted. To investigate the effects of SLC25A45 knockdown on the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells in vitro, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analyses were performed to identify potential underlying mechanisms, which were subsequently validated by experimental assays. Results SLC25A45 was elevated in clinical HCC specimens, and high SLC25A45 expression was correlated with disease progression and poor overall survival (OS). In vitro functional assays demonstrated that SLC25A45 silencing reduced HCC cell proliferation and colony formation. Mechanistically, GSEA indicated that high SLC25A45 expression was significantly enriched in the p53 signaling pathways. SLC25A45 knockdown in HCC cells led to a significant increase in wild-type p53 protein expression, but a substantial decrease in mutant p53 expression. Conclusions SLC25A45 is a potential prognostic indicator and may drive HCC tumorigenesis and progression through the differential modulation of the p53 signaling pathways.