TY - JOUR AB - GTPases of immunity‑associated protein 2 (GIMAP2) is a GTPase family member associated with T cell survival. However, its mechanisms of action in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain largely unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to elucidate the possible role of GIMAP2 in OSCC development by investigating its expression levels and molecular mechanisms in OSCC. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry indicated that GIMAP2 expression was significantly upregulated (P<0.05) in OSCC‑derived cell lines and primary OSCC specimens compared with that in their normal counterparts. GIMAP2‑knockdown OSCC cells exhibited decreased cell growth, which was associated with cyclin‑dependent kinase (CDK)4, CDK6 and phosphorylated Rb downregulation and p53 and p21 upregulation. In addition to cell cycle arrest, GIMAP2 affected anti‑apoptotic functions in GIMAP2‑knockdown cells by upregulating Bcl‑2 and downregulating Bax and Bak. These findings indicated that GIMAP2 may significantly influence OSCC development and apoptosis inhibition and thus is a potential biomarker of OSCC. AD - Department of Oral Science, Chiba University, Chiba 260‑8670, Japan Department of Molecular Virology, Chiba University, Chiba 260‑8670, Japan Department of Dentistry and Oral‑Maxillofacial Surgery, Chiba University, Chiba 260‑8670, Japan Department of Medical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260‑8677, Japan AU - Komatsu,Mari AU - Saito,Kengo AU - Miyamoto,Isao AU - Koike,Kazuyuki AU - Iyoda,Manabu AU - Nakashima,Dai AU - Kasamatsu,Atsushi AU - Shiiba,Masashi AU - Tanzawa,Hideki AU - Uzawa,Katsuhiro DA - 2022/02/01 DO - 10.3892/ol.2021.13167 IS - 2 JO - Oncol Lett KW - GTPases of immunity‑associated proteins 2 oral squamous cell carcinoma tumor progression G1 phase cell cycle arrest p53 anti‑apoptosis PY - 2022 SN - 1792-1074 1792-1082 SP - 49 ST - Aberrant GIMAP2 expression affects oral squamous cell carcinoma progression by promoting cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis T2 - Oncology Letters TI - Aberrant GIMAP2 expression affects oral squamous cell carcinoma progression by promoting cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.13167 VL - 23 ER -