High NUAK1 expression correlates with poor prognosis and involved in NSCLC cells migration and invasion

Novel (nua) kinase family 1 (NUAK1) is a member of the human adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase family that has been identified as a key tumor cell survival factor. In the present study, we investigated the role of NUAK1 in the migration and invasion of human nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Immunohistochemistry staining showed that the expression of NUAK1 correlated with the differentiation and stage of the carcinoma, as well as with lymph node metastasis. Inhibition of NUAK1 expression by small interference RNA severely impaired migration and invasion in A549 cells. In addition, we found that the knockdown of NUAK1 suppressed the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and the activation of NF-kappa B, which can regulate the transcription of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Correspondingly, NUAK1 knockdown reduced lung metastasis in a xenograft mouse model of NSCLC. Taken together, our results suggest that NUAK1 plays an important role in NSCLC cell migration and invasion.