The impact of Stromal antigen 2 (STAG2) on migration and invasion of Hepatocellular carcinoma

The impact of Stromal antigen 2 (STAG2) on migration and invasion of Hepatocellular carcinoma | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The impact of Stromal antigen 2 (STAG2) on migration and invasion of Hepatocellular carcinoma Yuyu Gao, Xiang Gan, Huiming Yang, Jiayi Liu, Hongtao Li, Meiqing Li, and 9 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7161512/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Stromal antigen2 (STAG2) is involved in metastasis and invasion processes of various cancers, however, the functions of STAG2 in HCC remain unclear. In our study, We evaluated the global mRNA expression levels of STAG2 using the TCGA and GEO databases. By using qRT-PCR, WB, and IHC, the expression level of STAG2 in HCC tissues was determined. We examined the relationships between the expression of STAG2 and the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC. Subsequently, sh-STAG2 HCC cell model was constructed and the alteration of physiologic function of the cells were detected. RNA-seq and molecular docking were used to reveal the STAG2 regulation network. Finally, Using the ROC curve, the STAG2 and its interacting proteins diagnosis value were assessed. The findings showed that the levels of STAG2 expression significantly increased within both HCC tissues and cells. And high STAG2 protein levels were associated with high metastatic tendency. In sh-STAG2 HCC cell model, the cell apoptosis has been promoted, cell proliferation, migration and invasion have been inhibited, and the key proteins of EMT process changed significantly. DEGs of sh-NC vs. sh-STAG2 were enriched in PI3K-AKT, and Focal adhesion signaling pathway, etc. In Focal adhesion pathway, the mRNA expression levels of VAV3-RAC2-PAK5 showed significant change, and all of them have strong binding energy to STAG2. Moreover, the model of STAG2-VAV3 has a greatest diagnosis efficiency for HCC screening. In conclusion, STAG2 could regulate the migration and invasion of HCC through the Focal adhesion pathway, and this process may be closely related to the VAV3-RAC2-PAK5 genes. Health sciences/Biomarkers Biological sciences/Cancer Biological sciences/Cell biology Health sciences/Oncology Stromal antigen 2 Hepatocellular carcinoma migration invasion biomarker Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files FigureS1.tif Figure S1: (A)STAG2 expression in various types of cancer. (B)STAG2 transcriptome. TableS1.docx Table S1: The specific primer sequences of STAG2 and its interacting proteins and β-actin. TableS2.docx Table S2: Correlation between STAG2 and clinicopathological features in TCGA (n=363). Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7161512","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":501898049,"identity":"14ceff10-9a1a-41f1-9f38-2f71ecfd1381","order_by":0,"name":"Yuyu Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guilin Medical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuyu","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""},{"id":501898050,"identity":"b7991384-eb25-4536-9768-34b9bf7ce0ad","order_by":1,"name":"Xiang Gan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guilin Medical 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03:23:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7161512/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7161512/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":93237102,"identity":"e57e0c24-953e-4a8c-8db6-b4022800f1dd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-10 14:18:03","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1202118,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7161512/v1_covered_f87fe422-ab7a-4cb1-96a2-25ec664b0e61.pdf"},{"id":89581814,"identity":"de28698a-b41d-4a61-9fed-9bbddd45c7d0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-21 14:10:38","extension":"tif","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":24882260,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFigure S1: (A)STAG2 expression in various 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(B)STAG2 transcriptome.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"FigureS1.tif","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7161512/v1/33215b32ae660d35c80895d2.tif"},{"id":89581788,"identity":"f41411f6-7b24-4228-95f6-baa5eed9caee","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-21 14:10:38","extension":"docx","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":13760,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable S1: The specific primer sequences of STAG2 and its interacting proteins and β-actin.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"TableS1.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7161512/v1/34af60164b6c4723d5d3d1e4.docx"},{"id":89581790,"identity":"e687ba9b-4175-46bd-aaec-619321a5c252","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-21 14:10:38","extension":"docx","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":16977,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable S2: Correlation between STAG2 and clinicopathological features in TCGA (n=363).\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"TableS2.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7161512/v1/5460beca7acca4ba5f0c6a77.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The impact of Stromal antigen 2 (STAG2) on migration and invasion of Hepatocellular carcinoma","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Stromal antigen 2, Hepatocellular carcinoma, migration, invasion, biomarker","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7161512/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7161512/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eStromal antigen2 (STAG2) is involved in metastasis and invasion processes of various cancers, however, the functions of STAG2 in HCC remain unclear. In our study, We evaluated the global mRNA expression levels of STAG2 using the TCGA and GEO databases. By using qRT-PCR, WB, and IHC, the expression level of STAG2 in HCC tissues was determined. We examined the relationships between the expression of STAG2 and the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC. Subsequently, sh-STAG2 HCC cell model was constructed and the alteration of physiologic function of the cells were detected. RNA-seq and molecular docking were used to reveal the STAG2 regulation network. Finally, Using the ROC curve, the STAG2 and its interacting proteins diagnosis value were assessed. The findings showed that the levels of STAG2 expression significantly increased within both HCC tissues and cells. And high STAG2 protein levels were associated with high metastatic tendency. In sh-STAG2 HCC cell model, the cell apoptosis has been promoted, cell proliferation, migration and invasion have been inhibited, and the key proteins of EMT process changed significantly. DEGs of sh-NC \u003cem\u003evs.\u003c/em\u003e sh-STAG2 were enriched in PI3K-AKT, and Focal adhesion signaling pathway, etc. In Focal adhesion pathway, the mRNA expression levels of VAV3-RAC2-PAK5 showed significant change, and all of them have strong binding energy to STAG2. Moreover, the model of STAG2-VAV3 has a greatest diagnosis efficiency for HCC screening. In conclusion, STAG2 could regulate the migration and invasion of HCC through the Focal adhesion pathway, and this process may be closely related to the VAV3-RAC2-PAK5 genes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The impact of Stromal antigen 2 (STAG2) on migration and invasion of Hepatocellular carcinoma","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-21 14:10:33","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7161512/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"04f605a5-3e0b-4b44-aa86-d0976ade7e63","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 21st, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":53306860,"name":"Health sciences/Biomarkers"},{"id":53306861,"name":"Biological sciences/Cancer"},{"id":53306862,"name":"Biological sciences/Cell biology"},{"id":53306863,"name":"Health sciences/Oncology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-10-10T14:09:45+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-21 14:10:33","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7161512","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7161512","identity":"rs-7161512","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}