RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate that the role of Axin in regulating the invasion and migration ability of lymphoma cells and explore the molecular mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expressions of Axin, β-catenin, MMP7, and MMP9 were detected in different lymphoma cell lines by RT-PCR and Western blotting. A lymphoma cell line with low Axin expressions was transiently transfected with pCMV5-HA-Axin and pcDNA5-His-β-catenin plasmid, and the expressions of β-catenin, MMP7, and MMP9 mRNA and protein were observed. A lymphoma cell model stably overexpressing Axin was transfected with AXIN-shRNA and β-catenin-shRNA, and the changes in β-catenin, MMP7, and MMP9 cexpressions were observed. The changes in the invasion and migration abilities of this cell model were assessed following Axin knockdown.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the lymphoma cell lines tested, the Axin expression showed a negative correlation with β-catenin, MMP7, and MMP9 expressions. In Raji cells with a low Axin expression, overexpression of Axin resulted in decreased expressions of β-catenin, MMP7, and MMP9 at the protein levels but not the mRNA levels, and overexpression of β-catenin obviously increased MMP7 and MMP9 mRNA and protein expressions. In the cells with stable Axin overexpression, Axin knockdown caused increased expressions of β-catenin, MMP7, and MMP9 at the protein levels but not the mRNA levels, while β-catenin knockdown caused lowered expressions of MMP7 and MMP9 and suppressed cell invasion and migration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In lymphoma cells, Axin overexpression can decrease the expression of β-catenin, which in turn decreases the expressions of MMP7 and MMP9 to inhibit the cell invasion and migration.</p>