Abstract

Recent studies have indicated that phosphoethanolamine cytidylyltransferase 2 (PCYT2) is aberrantly expressed in various tumors, influencing tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, the role of PCYT2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unexplored. The objective of this research is to explore the expression changes of PCYT2 in ccRCC and elucidate its potential regulatory effects on ccRCC biological functions, alongside the underlying molecular mechanisms. Through sequencing data analysis and clinical tissue assessments, we discovered a notable downregulation of PCYT2 in ccRCC tissues, with lower PCYT2 expression correlating with poorer patient prognosis. Gene overexpression and silencing experiments demonstrated that PCYT2 overexpression exerted notable anti-cancer effects, including inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Silencing PCYT2 produced opposite effects, which could be reversed by PCYT2 overexpression. Mechanistic studies revealed that PCYT2 promoted the phosphorylation of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), preventing its nuclear translocation and thereby inhibiting YAP1 pathway activation. Further investigations indicated that the regulatory effect of PCYT2 on YAP1 phosphorylation was dependent on PPP2R1A. In vivo studies corroborated these findings, showing that PCYT2 overexpression significantly restrained tumor formation, accompanied by downregulation of the YAP1 pathway. Our findings offer substantial evidence that PCYT2 acts as a tumor suppressor in ccRCC, with its mechanism linked to the regulation of YAP1 pathway activation. This study offers fresh perspectives on the molecular pathogenesis of ccRCC and identifies PCYT2 as a potential candidate for therapeutic strategies in this disease.