Knockdown of USP39 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in melanoma

The spliceosome machinery composed of multimeric protein complexes guides precursor messenger RNAs (mRNAs) (pre-mRNAs) splicing in eukaryotic cells. Spliceosome components have been shown to be downregulated in cancer and could be a promising molecular target for anticancer therapy. The ubiquitin-specific protease 39 (USP39) is essential for pre-mRNA splicing, and upregulated USP39 expression is noted in a variety of cancers. However, the role of USP39 in the development and progression of melanoma remains unclear. In the present study, USP39 expression was found to be increased in melanoma tissues compared with that in nevus tissues. USP39 silencing via lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA (shRNA) significantly suppressed melanoma cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 cell cycle phase arrest, and increased apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, USP39 knockdown suppressed melanoma tumor growth in a xenograft model. In addition, USP39 silencing was associated with the increased expressions of p21, p27, and Bax. Furthermore, the inhibition of USP39 expression decreased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, indicating that ERK signaling pathways might be involved in the regulation of melanoma cell proliferation by USP39. Our findings suggest that USP39 may play crucial roles in the development and pathogenesis of melanoma, and it may serve as a potential therapeutic target for melanoma.