TRIM24/ZFX affects the stemness and resistance to 5-FU of colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death, and about 10% of all malignancies are CRC. Cancer stem cells are considered main culprits in CRC treatment resistance and disease recurrence. This study explored the effects of tripartite motif containing 24 (TRIM24) and zinc finger protein, X-linked (ZFX) on CRC cell stemness and 5-FU resistance. A 5-FU-resistant cell line (HT29-5-FU) was constructed for functional analysis of CRC 5-FU-resistant cells. qRT-PCR and western blot (WB) were employed to analyze mRNA and protein levels of ZFX in 5-FU resistant cells and sensitive cells. WB was also utilized to analyze the surface markers of stem cells in each group. CCK-8 assay determined the IC₅₀ values of different cell groups treated with 5-FU. The sphere-forming ability of cells in each group was determined using tumor sphere assay. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay validated binding of ZFX to TRIM24. ZFX was highly expressed in HT29-5-FU cells. Silencing ZFX significantly reduced the 5-FU resistance and IC₅₀ value of HT29-5-FU cells, and the surface markers and cell sphere-forming ability of stem cells were also significantly reduced. The function of HT29 cells was opposite when ZFX was overexpressed. In CRC cells, TRIM24 was an upstream transcription factor of ZFX, and they interacted with each other. TRIM24 activated the expression of ZFX to influence the stemness and 5-FU resistance of cells. The TRIM24/ZFX regulatory axis affected the stemness of CRC cells and their sensitivity to 5-FU, providing potential drug targets for novel therapeutic avenues for CRC.