Inhibition of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 suppresses proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Lysine acetyltransferase 7 (KAT7), also known as HBO1 or MYST2, is highly expressed in multiple cancers. This study aims to explore the expression patterns of KAT7 in breast cancer and its impact on phenotypes of breast cancer cells. METHODS: The expression of KAT7 and the overall survival of patients were analyzed using the online bioinformatics platform GEPIA2. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect KAT7 protein expression in breast cancer specimens (94 breast cancer tissues and 12 adjacent normal tissues). KAT7 shRNA plasmids were used to inhibit KAT7 expression in MCF-7 and MDAMB231 cells, and this inhibition was verified by western blot analysis. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation, and transwell migration assays were employed to assess the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. RESULTS: KAT7 was highly expressed in breast cancer and correlated with poor patient prognosis. KAT7 expression was significantly higher in breast cancer than in adjacent non-cancerous tissue. 67 of 94 breast cancer samples tested positive for KAT7. KAT7 was significantly negatively correlated with estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Ki67, and was significantly positively correlated with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). KAT7 expression is strongly associated with tumor subtypes. Inhibition of KAT7 significantly suppressed growth, clonogenic formation, and migration in MCF-7 and MDAMB231 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that KAT7 was highly expressed in breast cancer, and inhibition of KAT7 suppressed proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells.