Purpose Our previous study proved that FOXM1 regulates colorectal cancer (CRC) cell metastasis through epithelial–mesenchymal transition program. The aim of this study is to further explore the underlying mechanism of FOXM1 in CRC. Materials and methods In this study, we detected the mRNA and protein expressions of FOXM1 and β-catenin in CRC tissues and their corresponding normal-appearing tissues (NATs) by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. Then the potential link between FOXM1 and β-catenin in CRC tissues was analyzed. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed the biological functions of FOXM1 in CRC cells after reconstitution of FOXM1 expression in vitro. Moreover, the mechanism of FOXM1-promoted CRC progression by improving β-catenin nuclear translocation was also discussed. Results Our data demonstrated that FOXM1 and β-catenin were upregulated in CRC tissues compared with the corresponding NATs ( P <0.05). Clinicopathologic analysis revealed that increased FOXM1 (or β-catenin) expression positively correlated with some clinicopathologic features, such as tumor size, TNM stage, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis ( P <0.05). Meanwhile, the possible relationships between FOXM1 and β-catenin in CRC samples were evaluated using SPSS software, and a significant positive correlation was found ( P <0.05). In vitro data demonstrate that elevated FOXM1 expression exerted oncogenic effects on CRC via activation of β-catenin signaling pathway. The inhibition of β-catenin by siRNAs significantly attenuates FOXM1-induced malignant activities. Conclusion The data suggested that FOXM1/β-catenin is critical for malignancy of CRC, which may constitute a potential therapeutic strategy for CRC.

Little research has focused on how rotifer communities respond to eutrophication based on their combined taxonomic and functional indices. In this research, the relationship of the environment and rotifer communities was comparatively investigated in two subtropical lakes over one year. The taxon-based indices, including species number (S), Margalef index (D), Simpson index (d), Shannon-wiener index (H′), and functional traits relying on the guild ratio (GR) and the modified guild ratio (GR′) from the moderately eutrophic Lake Xiyanghu were significantly lower than those from the slightly eutrophic Lake Jinghu. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that both lakes were distinct from each other. Taken together, the findings indicate that trophic state was an important factor affecting rotifer community structure. In addition, the average annual GR′ of Lake Xiyanghu was <0, suggesting the dominancy of microphagous rotifers. Over time, S, D, d, and H′ were positively correlated with temperature and phosphorus levels in Lake Jinghu, but were negatively correlated with NH4 +-N levels in Lake Xiyanghu. Only GR′ was negatively associated with chlorophyll-a in Lake Xiyanghu, implying that the functional index (GR′) might be an effective tool to explore the relationship between trophic state and the rotifer community in seriously eutrophic lakes.