Long non-coding RNA ZEB1-AS1 promotes proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting miR-299-3p/E2F1 axis
Abstract There is emerging evidence that dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense 1 (ZEB1-AS1) functions as an oncogenic regulator in various malignancies. Nonetheless, the potential role of ZEB1-AS1 in HCC remains poorly elucidated. Herein, qRT-PCR was employed for examining ZEB1-AS1, miR-299-3p and E2F1 mRNA expressions in HCC cells and tissues. MTT assay was performed to evaluate cell proliferation. Transwell assay was utilized for evaluating cancer cell migration and invasion. Western blot was employed for measuring E2F1 protein expression. What’s more, dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilized for verifying the targeting relationships between ZEB1-AS1 and miR-299-3p, as well as E2F1 and miR-299-3p. It was demonstrated that, in HCC tissues and cells, ZEB1-AS1 expression was markedly increased, and meanwhile, its high expression level is related to the unfavorable clinicopathologic indicators. ZEB1-AS1 overexpression facilitated HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while its knockdown led to the opposite effects. In terms of mechanism, we discovered that ZEB1-AS1 could decoy miR-299-3p and up-regulate E2F1 expression. This work reveals the functions and mechanism of ZEB1-AS1 in HCC tumorigenesis and progression, which provides novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC.