Knockdown of Trnau1ap inhibits the proliferation and migration of NIH3T3, JEG-3 and Bewo cells via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

The tRNA selenocysteine 1 associated protein 1 (Trnau1ap, initially named SECp43) is involved in Selenocysteine (Sec) biosynthesis and incorporation into selenoproteins, which play a key role in biological processes, such as embryonic development. We previously reported that downregulation of Trnau1ap inhibited proliferation of cardiomyocyte-like H9c2 cells. However, the effects of Trnau1ap on cell proliferation and migration of embryonic development are not known, and the mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, lentiviral shRNA vectors were transfected in NIH3T3, JEG-3 and Bewo cells (embryonic, trophoblast and placental cells). We found that knockdown of Trnau1ap resulted in reduced expression levels of selenoproteins. The data of Cell Count Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and wound scratch assay revealed the proliferation and migration rates were reduced in the Trnau1ap-shRNA groups. Furthermore, western blot analysis showed that the phosphorylation level of Akt in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway was attenuated. These results indicate that Trnau1ap plays an important role in regulation of cell proliferation and migration through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, as well as being essential for embryonic development by regulating the expression of selenoproteins.