scholarly journals Downregulation of long non-coding RNA ZXF1 restricts cell survival by targeting miR-634-GRB2 in lung adenocarcinoma

Author(s):  
Xubin Ren ◽  
Nie Xu ◽  
Yunting Zhang ◽  
Tao Wang

Increasing evidence demonstrates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important regulatory roles in mediating initiation and progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LA), which is one of the most lethal in humans. A previous study reported that lncRNAZXF1 was dysregulated in LA and enhanced expression of ZXF1 promoted the invasion and metastasis in LA. However, the effect of ZXF1 on LA progression and its underlying mechanisms were not thoroughly investigated. In our in vitro experiments, qRT-PCR revealed that the expression level of ZXF1 in LA tissues and tumor cells were significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues and normal cells. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, western blot and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay showed that ZXF1 could directly interact with miR-634, which targets GRB2. Therefore, we propose that ZXF1 could function as an oncogene partly by sponging miR-634 and therefore regulating GRB2 expression in LA. Overall, this study demonstrated, for the first time, that the lncRNA ZXF1/miR-634/GRB2 axis plays crucial roles in modulating LA progression. Moreover, lncRNA ZXF1 might potentially improve LA prognosis and serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of LA.

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
ZheXing Wang ◽  
LiMing Pan ◽  
HaiXiang Yu ◽  
Yue Wang

Gefitinib resistance is one of the major obstacles for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), small nucleolar RNA host gene 5SNHG5 on gefitinib resistance in LAD and explore the underlying mechanisms. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that SNHG5 expression was significantly down-regulated in LAD patients with acquired gefitinib resistance and gefitinib resistant LAD cell lines. SNHG5 overexpression sensitized gefitinib resistant LAD cells to gefitinib treatment, while knockdown of SNHG5 rendered gefitinib sensitive LAD cells to gefitinib treatment. Bioinformatics analysis showed that SNHG5 exerted its function through interaction with miR-377, which was further confirmed by luciferase reporter assay in 293T cells. Overexpression of SNHG5 suppressed the expression of miR-377, while the knockdown of SNHG5 increased the miR-377 expression. MiR-377 expression was significantly up-regulated in LAD specimens with acquired gefitinib resistance and was negatively correlated with SNHG5 expression. In addition, CASP1 was predicted as a downstream target of miR-377. Overexpression of miR-377 suppressed the expression of CASP1 in PC9 cells and knockdown of miR-377 increased the CASP1 expression in PC9GR cells. In vitro functional assay showed that knockdown of CASP1 in SNHG5-overexpressed PC9GR cells abolished their gefitinib resistance. Overall, the present study demonstrated, for the first time, that the SNHG5/miR-377/CASP1 axis functions as an important role in LAD cells gefitinib resistance and potentially contributes to the improvement of LAD diagnosis and therapy.


Pathobiology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Ling Zhou ◽  
Xiao-li Xu

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Emerging research has demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) attach great importance to the progression of cervical cancer (CC). LncRNA ARAP1-AS1 was involved in the development of several cancers; however, its role in CC is far from being elucidated. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was employed to detect ARAP1-AS1 and miR-149-3p expression in CC samples. CC cell lines (HeLa and C33A cells) were regarded as the cell models. The biological effect of ARAP1-AS1 on cancer cells was measured using CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay and wound healing assay in vitro, and subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model and tail vein injection model in vivo. Furthermore, interactions between ARAP1-AS1 and miR-149-3p, miR-149-3p and POU class 2 homeobox 2 (POU2F2) were determined by bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR, Western blot, luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assay, respectively. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The expression of ARAP1-AS1 was enhanced in CC samples, while miR-149-3p was markedly suppressed. Additionally, ARAP1-AS1 overexpression enhanced the viability, migration, and invasion of CC cells. ARAP1-AS1 downregulated miR-149-3p via sponging it. ARAP1-AS1 and miR-149-3p exhibited a negative correlation in CC samples. On the other hand, ARAP1-AS1 enhanced the expression of POU2F2, which was validated as a target gene of miR-149-3p. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> ARAP1-AS1 was abnormally upregulated in CC tissues and indirectly modulated the POU2F2 expression via reducing miR-149-3p expression. Our study identified a novel axis, ARAP1-AS1/miR-149-3p/POU2F2, in CC tumorigenesis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyong Wang ◽  
Minge Ma ◽  
Chuan Li ◽  
Yuling Yang ◽  
Maolong Wang

GAS6 antisense RNA 1 (GAS6-AS1) is a long non-coding RNA involved in hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancer. However, the functional role of GAS6-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. In the present study, qRT-PCR was used to measure the levels of GAS6-AS1, GIMAP6 and miR-24-3p expression in LUAD samples and cell lines. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were used to determine cell proliferation. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated using wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. The potential interactions between molecules were assessed using RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Western blot analysis was used to quantify protein expression. The anti-tumor effect of over-expressed GAS6-AS1 on LUAD was also examined in vivo in xenograft tumor experiments. The expression of GAS6-AS1 was notably downregulated in LUAD samples and cell lines and associated with a poor prognosis. GAS6-AS1 overexpression inhibited the migration and invasion of A549 and H1650 cells. Down-expressed GAS6-AS1 acted as a sponge for miR-24-3p and down-regulated the expression of its target, GTPase IMAP Family Member 6. These findings suggested that GAS6-AS1 might represent a potential diagnostic biomarker for LUAD.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangbao Xie ◽  
Guangfei Cui ◽  
Tao Li

Abstract Background: Accumulating evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as essential regulators in a plethora of human cancers. In this study, we analyzed the expression profile and functional role of lncRNA CBR3-AS1 in colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: CRC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were obtained from 133 patients. The expression levels of CBR3-AS1 and miR-145-5p in tissues and cells were detected by RT-qPCR analysis. The proliferation, oxaliplatin resistance, apoptosis, migration, invasion and stem-like properties of CRC cells were detected by MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, transwell assay and mammosphere formation assay, respectively. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression levels of relevant proteins. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay verified the direct interaction between CBR3-AS1 and miR-145-5p in CRC.Results: High expression levels of CBR3-AS1 were found in CRC tissues and cell lines. Upregulated CBR3-AS1 was closely associated with poor prognosis and adverse clinicopathological features of CRC patients. Artificial knockdown of CBR3-AS1 markedly suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and stem-like properties, but promoted the apoptosis of CRC cells. Moreover, we observed that CBR3-AS1 could directly bind to miR-145-5p and negatively regulated its expression in CRC. Further experiments also demonstrated that inhibition of miR-145-5p reverted the effects of CBR3-AS1 knockdown on CRC cells. In addition, compared with the parental cells, CBR3-AS1 expression was strikingly increased in oxaliplatin-resistant CRC cells, and the oxaliplatin resistance was notably diminished by CBR3-AS1 knockdown. Conclusions: To conclude, our study suggested that CBR3-AS1 serves an oncogenic role in CRC, and may be exploited as a novel therapeutic target for CRC patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Honggang Kang ◽  
Dan Ma ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Jun Zhao ◽  
Mengxiang Yang

Abstract Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is known to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. In recent decades, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been indicated to exert pivotal regulating functions in multiple biological behaviors in the initiation and development of LUAD. However, the functional mechanism of lncRNA GATA binding protein 6 antisense RNA 1 (GATA6-AS1) in LUAD has not been explored. Methods In the current study, GATA6-AS1 expression in LUAD tissues was revealed. Meanwhile, GATA6-AS1 expression in LUAD cells was investigated via RT-qPCR analysis. After A549 and H1975 cells were transfected with GATA6-AS1 overexpression plasmids, EdU and colony formation assays, TUNEL assays and flow cytometry analyses, as well as wound healing and Transwell assays were conducted to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Afterwards, bioinformatic tools, western blot analyses, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were performed to investigate the correlation of microRNA-4530 (miR-4530), GATA6-AS1 and GATA6. Results We found that GATA6-AS1 expression was low-expressed in LUAD tissues and cells. Furthermore, the upregulation of GATA6-AS1 suppressed the proliferative, migration and invasion abilities, as well as promoted apoptotic rate of A549 and H1975 cells. Moreover, the mechanistic investigations revealed that GATA6-AS1 upregulated the expression of its cognate sense gene GATA6 by binding with miR-4530, thereby modulating the malignant progression of LUAD cells. Conclusions GATA6-AS1 repressed LUAD cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis via regulation of the miR-4530/GATA6 axis, indicating GATA6-AS1 as a new prognostic biomarker for LUAD.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Lijian Chen ◽  
Xundi Xu ◽  
Chao Shen

Abstract OBJECTIVE : Patients with advanced gallbladder cancer (GBC) have a lower 5-year survival rate. Long non-coding RNA urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) and miR-613 are involved in the progression of various cancers. This study was to explore the regulatory mechanism between UCA1 and miR-613 in GBC. METHODS: The expression levels of UCA1, miR-613, and SPOCK1 mRNA were detected using qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were determined with MTT, transwell, or flow cytometry assays. The levels of SPOCK1 protein, Bax, cleaved-casp-3, and Bcl-2 were determined by western blot analysis. The relationship between miR-613 and UCA1 or SPOCK1 was verified via dual-luciferase reporter and/or RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. The role of UCA1 in vivo was confirmed by xenograft assay. RESULTS: UCA1 and SPOCK1 were upregulated while miR-613 was downregulated in GBC tissues and cells. UCA1 silencing blocked tumor growth in vivo, impeded cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in GBC cells in vitro. Notably, UCA1 acted as a sponge for miR-613, which targeted SPOCK1 in GBC cells. Moreover, miR-613 repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and accelerated cell apoptosis in GBC cells. UCA1 enhancement reversed miR-613 mimic-mediated influence on proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of GBC cells. UCA1 regulated SPOCK1 expression through miR-613. Furthermore, SPOCK1 elevation overturned UCA1 silencing-mediated the malignant behaviors of GBC cells. CONCLUSION: UCA1 knockdown suppressed GBC progression via downregulating SPOCK1 via sponging miR-613, providing an evidence for UCA1 as a target for GBC treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas W. Mathy ◽  
Olivia Burleigh ◽  
Andrew Kochvar ◽  
Erin R. Whiteford ◽  
Matthew Behrens ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Microglia are resident immunocompetent and phagocytic cells in the CNS. Pro-inflammatory microglia, stimulated by microbial signals such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), viral RNAs, or inflammatory cytokines, are neurotoxic and associated with pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are emerging as important tissue-specific regulatory molecules directing cell differentiation and functional states and may help direct proinflammatory responses of microglia. Characterization of lncRNAs upregulated in proinflammatory microglia, such as NR_126553 or 2500002B13Rik, now termed Nostrill (iNOS Transcriptional Regulatory Intergenic LncRNA Locus) increases our understanding of molecular mechanisms in CNS innate immunity. Methods Microglial gene expression array analyses and qRT-PCR were used to identify a novel long intergenic non-coding RNA, Nostrill, upregulated in LPS-stimulated microglial cell lines, LPS-stimulated primary microglia, and LPS-injected mouse cortical tissue. Silencing and overexpression studies, RNA immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, chromatin isolation by RNA purification assays, and qRT-PCR were used to study the function of this long non-coding RNA in microglia. In vitro assays were used to examine the effects of silencing the novel long non-coding RNA in LPS-stimulated microglia on neurotoxicity. Results We report here characterization of intergenic lncRNA, NR_126553, or 2500002B13Rik now termed Nostrill (iNOS Transcriptional Regulatory Intergenic LncRNA Locus). Nostrill is induced by LPS stimulation in BV2 cells, primary murine microglia, and in cortical tissue of LPS-injected mice. Induction of Nostrill is NF-κB dependent and silencing of Nostrill decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and nitric oxide (NO) production in BV2 and primary microglial cells. Overexpression of Nostrill increased iNOS expression and NO production. RNA immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that Nostrill is physically associated with NF-κB subunit p65 following LPS stimulation. Silencing of Nostrill significantly reduced NF-κB p65 and RNA polymerase II recruitment to the iNOS promoter and decreased H3K4me3 activating histone modifications at iNOS gene loci. In vitro studies demonstrated that silencing of Nostrill in microglia reduced LPS-stimulated microglial neurotoxicity. Conclusions Our data indicate a new regulatory role of the NF-κB-induced Nostrill and suggest that Nostrill acts as a co-activator of transcription of iNOS resulting in the production of nitric oxide by microglia through modulation of epigenetic chromatin remodeling. Nostrill may be a target for reducing the neurotoxicity associated with iNOS-mediated inflammatory processes in microglia during neurodegeneration.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanjuan Shi ◽  
Xijian Xu ◽  
Dan Zhang ◽  
Jiuyan Zhang ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNA PTPRG antisense RNA 1 (PTPRG-AS1) deregulation has been reported in various human malignancies and identified as an important modulator of cancer development. Few reports have focused on the detailed role of PTPRG-AS1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and its underlying mechanism. This study aimed to determine the physiological function of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC. A series of experiments were also performed to identify the mechanisms through which PTPRG-AS1 exerts its function in EOC.Methods: Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine PTPRG-AS1 expression in EOC tissues and cell lines. PTPRG-AS1 was silenced in EOC cells and studied with respect to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. The putative miRNAs that target PTPRG-AS1 were predicted using bioinformatics analysis and further confirmed in luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.Results: Our data verified the upregulation of PTPRG-AS1 in EOC tissues and cell lines. High PTPRG-AS1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with EOC. Functionally, EOC cell proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo were suppressed by PTPRG-AS1 silencing. In contrast, cell apoptosis was promoted by loss of PTPRG-AS1. Regarding the mechanism, PTPRG-AS1 could serve as a competing endogenous RNA in EOC cells by decoying microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p), thereby elevating histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) expression. Furthermore, rescue experiments revealed that PTPRG-AS1 knockdown-mediated effects on EOC cells were, in part, counteracted by the inhibition of miR-545-3p or restoration of HDAC4.Conclusions: PTPRG-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that aggravated the malignancy of EOC through the miR-545-3p/HDAC4 ceRNA network. Thus, targeting the PTPRG-AS1/miR-545-3p/HDAC4 pathway may be a novel strategy for EOC anticancer therapy.


Author(s):  
Haitao Xie ◽  
Hui Zhou ◽  
Yan Jiang ◽  
Wenqian Xu ◽  
Leping Zeng ◽  
...  

IntroductionLong non-coding RNA LINC00641 has been reported to regulate tumor progression in several cancers. However, the expression and function of LINC00641 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear.Material and methodsIn this study, we measured the expression of LINC00641 in 79 pairs of HCC and adjacent normal liver tissues. The clinical significance of LINC00641 in HCC was explored. We also investigated the function of LINC00641 in HCC proliferation and invasion.ResultsWe observed that LINC00641 expression was significantly increased in HCC relative to normal tissues (P < 0.0001). High expression of LINC00641 was significantly associated with vascular invasion, advanced TNM stage, and reduced overall survival in HCC patients. Knockdown of LINC00641 inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, and invasion of HCC cells. In contrast, overexpression of LINC00641 promoted HCC cell growth and invasiveness. In vivo studies confirmed that knockdown of LINC00641 restrained tumorigenesis of HCC cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that LINC00641 inhibited the expression of miR-501-3p, which has been previously reported to act as a tumor suppressor in HCC. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assays validated that LINC00641 harbored a target site for miR-501-3p. Rescue experiments demonstrated that LINC00641-induced proliferation and invasion of HCC cells was reversed by co-expression of miR-501-3p.ConclusionsTaken together, LINC00641 contributes to aggressive phenotype of HCC cells by sponging miR-501-3p and represents a promising therapeutic target for this disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanbo Wang ◽  
Fenghai Ren ◽  
Dawei Sun ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
BenKun Liu ◽  
...  

BackgroundLung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer, and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common form. Despite the great advances that has been made in the diagnosis and treatment for LUAD, the pathogenesis of LUAD remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the function of circKEAP1 derived from the exon of KEAP1 in LUAD.MethodsThe expression profiles of circRNAs in LUAD tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were analyzed by Agilent Arraystar Human CircRNA microarray. The levels and prognostic values of circKEAP1 in tissues and cancer cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Subsequently, the effects of circKEAP1 on tumor growth were investigated by functional experiments in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down, and RNA immunoprecipitation experiments were performed to confirm the interaction between circKEAP1 and miR-141-3p in LUAD.ResultsWe found circKEAP1 was significantly downregulated in LUAD tissues and repressed tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circKEAP1 competitively binds to miR-141-3p and relive miR-141-3p repression for its host gene, which activated the KEAP1/NRF2 signal pathway, and finally suppresses the tumor progress. Our findings suggest that circKEAP1 inhibits LUAD progression through circKEAP1/miR-141-3p/KEAP1 axis and it may serve as a novel method for the treatment of LUAD.


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