Role of Post-Translational Modifications in Colorectal Cancer Metastasis

Simple Summary The presence or absence of colorectal cancer metastasis largely determines the survival time of patients. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been reported to regulate various cellular biological processes. But how they influence CRC remain to be comprehensively summarized. PTMs exhibit diverse effects on CRC metastasis, which can be either protective or detrimental. This depending on the complex network formed by different PTMs their regulatory signaling pathways. Here, we discuss the PTMs involved in CRC metastasis to help researchers to understand the research progress of PTMs related to colorectal cancer metastasis. Targeting PTMs implicated in colorectal cancer metastasis might be a promising approach in the clinical treatment in the future.Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. CRC metastasis is a multi-step process with various factors involved, including genetic and epigenetic regulations, which turn out to be a serious threat to CRC patients. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins involve the addition of chemical groups, sugars, or proteins to specific residues, which fine-tunes a protein's stability, localization, or interactions to orchestrate complicated biological processes. An increasing number of recent studies suggest that dysregulation of PTMs, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and glycosylation, play pivotal roles in the CRC metastasis cascade. Here, we summarized recent advances in the role of post-translational modifications in diverse aspects of CRC metastasis and its detailed molecular mechanisms. Moreover, advances in drugs targeting PTMs and their cooperation with other anti-cancer drugs, which might provide novel targets for CRC treatment and improve therapeutic efficacy, were also discussed.