Consistently, knockdown of SGSM2 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) induced the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK; Y576/577), a decrease in the expression of the epithelial markers E-cadherin, β-catenin, and Paxillin, and an increase in the expression of upstream epithelial markers Snail and Twist-1, which led to a reduction in cell adhesion and the promotion of cancer cell migration. The gene discussed is PXN; the disease is cancer.