scholarly journals Long non-coding RNA HOMER3-AS1 drives hepatocellular carcinoma progression via modulating the behaviors of both tumor cells and macrophages

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Pu ◽  
Wenchuan Li ◽  
Anmin Wang ◽  
Ya Zhang ◽  
Zebang Qin ◽  
...  

AbstractThe crosstalk between cancer cells and tumor microenvironment plays critical roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The identification of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) mediating the crosstalk might promote the development of new therapeutic strategies against HCC. Here, we identified a lncRNA, HOMER3-AS1, which is over-expressed in HCC and correlated with poor survival of HCC patients. HOMER3-AS1 promoted HCC cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, and reduced HCC cellular apoptosis. Furthermore, HOMER3-AS1 promoted macrophages recruitment and M2-like polarization. In vivo, HOMER3-AS1 significantly facilitated HCC progression. Mechanism investigations revealed that HOMER3-AS1 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling via upregulating HOMER3. Functional rescue experiments revealed that HOMER3/Wnt/β-catenin axis mediated the roles of HOMER3-AS1 in promoting HCC cellular malignant phenotypes. Furthermore, colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) was also identified as a critical downstream target of HOMER3-AS1. HOMER3-AS1 increased CSF-1 expression and secretion. Blocking CSF-1 reversed the roles of HOMER3-AS1 in inducing macrophages recruitment and M2 polarization. Furthermore, positive correlations between HOMER3-AS1 and HOMER3 expression, HOMER3-AS1 and CSF-1 expression, and HOMER3-AS1 expression and M2-like macrophages infiltration were found in human HCC tissues. In summary, our findings demonstrated that HOMER3-AS1 drives HCC progression via modulating the behaviors of both tumor cells and macrophages, which are dependent on the activation of HOMER3/Wnt/β-catenin axis and CSF-1, respectively. HOMER3-AS1 might be a promising prognostic and therapeutic target for HCC.

Author(s):  
Fenrong Chen ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Yan Cheng ◽  
Haitao Shi ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a considerable threat to human life, and patients with HCC are usually diagnosed in the later stages. Although treatment for HCC has recently advanced rapidly, novel targets for HCC are still desperately needed, especially for precision medicine. Here, we identified an HCC enriched long non-coding RNA, AC006262.5, that promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, our results revealed that AC006262.5 bound to and regulated miR-7855-5p, a tumor suppressive miRNA in HCC. Moreover, our data illustrated that AC006262.5 regulated the expression of BPY2C via miR-7855-5p. Finally, we found that AC006262.5 and miR-7855-5p formed a regulatory loop. Upregulation of AC006262.5 resulted in the decreased expression of miR-7855-5p, and downregulation of miR-7855-5p further facilitated the expression of AC006262.5. Our study provides novel targets for HCC diagnosis and treatment and sheds light on the lncRNA-miRNA regulatory nexus that controls the pathology of HCC.


Author(s):  
Hongjuan Song ◽  
Yuan Liu ◽  
Hui Liang ◽  
Xin Jin ◽  
Liping Liu

Accumulating evidences have revealed the dysregulated expressions and critical roles of non-coding RNAs in various malignancies, including cervical cancer. Nevertheless, our knowledge about the vast majority of non-coding RNAs is still lacking. Here we identified long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SPINT1-AS1 as a novel cervical cancer-associated lncRNA. SPINT1-AS1 was increased in cervical cancer and correlated with advanced stage and poor prognosis. SPINT1-AS1 was a direct downstream target of miR-214, a well-known tumor suppressive microRNA (miRNA) in cervical cancer. Intriguingly, SPINT1-AS1 was also found to repress miR-214 biogenesis via binding DNM3OS, the primary transcript of miR-214. The interaction between SPINT1-AS1 and DNM3OS repressed the binding of DROSHA and DGCR8 to DNM3OS, blocked DNM3OS cleavage, and therefore repressed mature miR-214 biogenesis. The expression of SPINT1-AS1 was significantly negatively correlated with miR-214 in cervical cancer tissues, supporting the reciprocal repression between SPINT1-AS1 and miR-214 in vivo. Through downregulating mature miR-214 level, SPINT1-AS1 upregulated the expression of β-catenin, a target of miR-214. Thus, SPINT1-AS1 further activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cervical cancer. Functionally, SPINT1-AS1 drove cervical cancer cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and also tumorigenesis in vivo. Deletion of the region mediating the interaction between SPINT1-AS1 and DNM3OS, overexpression of miR-214, and inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling all reversed the roles of SPINT1-AS1 in cervical cancer. Collectively, these findings identified SPINT1-AS1 as a novel cervical cancer-associated oncogenic lncRNA which represses miR-214 biogenesis and activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling, highlighting its potential as prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cervical cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Weiwei Liu ◽  
Dongmei Yao ◽  
Bo Huang

Abstract Cervical cancer (CC) is a huge threat to the health of women worldwide. Long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 gene (PVT1) was proved to be associated with the development of diverse human cancers, including CC. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism of PVT1 in CC progression remains unclear. Levels of PVT1, microRNA-503 (miR-503), and ADP ribosylation factor-like protein 2 (ARL2) were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or western blot assay. 3-(4,5)-Dimethylthiazole-2-y1)-2,5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry were used to examine cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. For migration and invasion detection, transwell assay was performed. The interaction between miR-503 and PVT1 or ARL2 was shown by dual luciferase reporter assay. A nude mouse model was constructed to clarify the role of PVT1 in vivo. PVT1 and ARL2 expressions were increased, whereas miR-503 expression was decreased in CC tissues and cells. PVT1 was a sponge of miR-503, and miR-503 targeted ARL2. PVT1 knockdown suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells, which could be largely reverted by miR-503 inhibitor. In addition, upregulated ARL2 could attenuate si-PVT1-mediated anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis effects on CC cells. Silenced PVT1 also inhibited CC tumor growth in vivo. PVT1 knockdown exerted tumor suppressor role in CC progression via the miR-503/ARL2 axis, at least in part.


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.


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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1403-1419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunxiuxiu Xu ◽  
Xinxi Luo ◽  
Wenguang He ◽  
Guangcheng Chen ◽  
Yanshan Li ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: To investigate the biological roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) PVT1 in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: qRT-PCR was performed to measure the expression of miRNA and mRNA. Western blot was performed to measure the protein expression. CCK-8 assay was performed to determine cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was performed to detect cell apoptosis. Wounding-healing assay and Transwell assay was performed to detect cell migration and invasion. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the target relationship. Quantichrom iron assay was performed to check uptake level of cellular iron. Results: PVT1 expression was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Function studies revealed that PVT1 knockdown significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, PVT1 could directly bind to microRNA (miR)-150 and down-regulate miR-150 expression. Hypoxia-inducible protein 2 (HIG2) was found to be one target gene of miR-150, and PVT1 knockdown could inhibit the expression of HIG2 through up-regulating miR-150 expression. In addition, the expression of miR-150 was down-regulated, while the expression of HIG2 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, inhibition of miR-150 could partly reverse the biological effects of PVT1 knockdown on proliferation, motility, apoptosis and iron metabolism in vitro, which might be associated with dysregulation of HIG2. In vivo results showed that PVT1 knockdown suppressed tumorigenesis and iron metabolism disorder by regulating the expression of miR-150 and HIG2. Conclusion: Taken together, the present study demonstrates that PVT1/miR-150/HIG2 axis may lead to a better understanding of HCC pathogenesis and provide potential therapeutic targets for HCC.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 857-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Cheng Gong ◽  
Hai-Ming Xu ◽  
Gong-Liang Guo ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Jing-Wei Shi ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occurs when blood supply to the heart is diminished (ischemia) for long time; ischemia is primarily caused due to hypoxia. The present study evaluated the effects of long non-coding RNA H19 on hypoxic rat H9c2 cells and mouse HL-1 cells. Methods: Hypoxic injury was confirmed by measuring cell viability, migration and invasion, and apoptosis using MTT, Transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. H19 expression after hypoxia was estimated by qRT-PCR. We then measured the effects of non-physiologically expressed H19, knockdown of miR-139 with or without H19 silence, and abnormally expressed Sox8 on hypoxia-induced H9c2 cells. Moreover, the interacted miRNA for H19 and downstream target gene were virtually screened and verified. The involved signaling pathways and the effects of abnormally expressed H19 on contractility of HL-1 cells were explored via Western blot analysis. Results: Hypoxia induced decreases of cell viability, migration and invasion, increase of cell apoptosis and up-regulation of H19. Knockdown of H19 increased hypoxia-induced injury in H9c2 cells. H19 acted as a sponge for miR-139 and H19 knockdown aggravated hypoxia-induced injury by up-regulating miR-139. Sox8 was identified as a target of miR-139, and its expression was negatively regulated by miR-139. The mechanistic studies revealed that overexpression of Sox8 might decrease hypoxia-induced cell injury by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and MAPK. Besides, H19 promoted contractility of HL-1 cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that H19 alleviates hypoxia-induced myocardial cell injury by miR-139-mediated up-regulation of Sox8, along with activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and MAPK.


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