Vinculin and filamin-C are two potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prostate cancer cell migration

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common diseases for male population, and the effective treatment for metastatic castration-resistant PCa is still lacking. To unravel the underlying mechanism of PCa cell migration, we plan to analyze the related crucial proteins and their roles. In our study, we firstly identify the differentially expressed proteins using quantitative proteomics, and confirm their mRNA expression using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The alterations of these proteins at DNA and mRNA levels are obtained from cBioPortal database. Furthermore, the functions of these proteins are evaluated using wound-healing assay. The quantitative proteomics identified vinculin (VCL) and filamin-C (FLNC) as two highly expressed proteins in PC3 cells, and the DNA and mRNA of these two proteins were amplified and upregulated in a part of PCa patients. Knockdown of VCL and FLNC gene expression significantly inhibit PCa cell migration. These findings suggest that VCL and FLNC identified by quantitative proteomics are highly expressed in PCa cells with high migration potential, and they could be effective targets for repressing PCa cell migration, paving a new avenue for the prognosis and treatment of advanced PCa.