Crosstalk between ROCK1 and PYROXD1 regulates CAFs activation and promotes laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma metastasis

We previously found the protein kinase ROCK1 actives CAFs to promote LSCC metastasis. Accumulating evidence indicates that the oxidoreductase PYROXD1 is an oncogene; however, the crosstalk between ROCK1 and PYROXD1 in LSCC metastasis is largely unknown. Here, we found that ROCK1 can target PYROXD1 and that knockdown of ROCK1 expression reduces the expression of PYROXD1, while knockdown of PYROXD1 expression cannot alter the expression of ROCK1; these results indicate that ROCK1 is upstream of PYROXD1. Furthermore, LSCC cells cocultured with PYROXD1-knockdown CAFs exhibit lower proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis. Conversely, LSCC cells cocultured with PYROXD1-overexpressing CAFs show the opposite results. In conclusion, the crosstalk between ROCK1 and PYROXD1 regulates CAFs activation and promotes LSCC metastasis.