Rock2 stabilizes β-catenin to promote tumor invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer

Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 2 (Rock2) is an effector for the small GTPase Rho and plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. However, the effect of Rock2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) still remains unclear. In this study, we found that Rock2 expression was markedly increased in clinical CRC tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues. High expression of Rock2 was correlated with tumor metastasis and poor prognosis in CRC. In addition, the knockdown of Rock2 suppressed the invasion and metastasis of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found that the β-catenin/TCF4 pathway contributed to the effects of Rock2 in CRC cells, and Rock2 stabilized β-catenin by preventing its ubiquitination and degradation. Taken together, this novel pathway for β-catenin control plays a biologically relevant role in CRC metastasis. •Rock2 is overexpressed in CRC.•High expression of Rock2 is associated with the progression and outcome of CRC.•Rock2 promotes the invasion and metastasis of CRC via the β-catenin/TCF4 pathway.•Rock2 stabilizes β-catenin by inhibiting its ubiquitination and degradation.