c-Jun transcriptionally regulates alpha 1, 2-fucosyltransferase 1 (FUT1) in ovarian cancer

Abstract Alpha 1, 2-fucosyltransferase (FUT 1/2) is a rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of Lewis y, a cell membrane-associated carbohydrate antigen. In human ovarian cancer, the upregulated expression of FUT1 and Lewis y is associated with advanced pathological stages and involved in cell proliferation, migration and invasion. However, the mechanism underlying the upregulation of FUT1 is largely unknown. Here, we identify an AP-1 binding site in FUT1 promoter in ovarian cancer cells. c-Jun promotes FUT1 expression, thereby enhancing Lewis y biosynthesis in various ovarian cancer cell lines. Moreover, EMSA, luciferase activity and ChIP assays demonstrate c-Jun directly interacts with FUT1 promoter. Furthermore, FUT1 mediates c-Jun-induced cell proliferation in ovarian cancer cells. In human ovarian cancer samples, c-Jun overexpression is linked to malignant degree and positively correlated to FUT1 and Lewis y expression. Taken together, c-Jun could transcriptionally modulate FUT1 expression in ovarian cancer, implicating the potential application of c-Jun inhibitors for human ovarian cancer therapy.