scholarly journals Knockdown of circ_0011946 targets miR-216a-5p/BCL2L2 axis to regulate proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhou ◽  
Shuhong Zhang ◽  
Zhonghan Min ◽  
Zhongwei Yu ◽  
Huaiwei Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of current research is to elucidate the role and mechanism of circ_0011946 in the functional behaviors of OSCC cells. Methods Circ_0011946, microRNA (miR)-216a-5p, B cell lymphoma-2-like 2 protein (BCL2L2) abundances were exposed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were detected by MTT, colony formation assay, transwell, wound-healing and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Target correlation was tested by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. An in vivo xenograft experiment was employed to investigate the function of circ_0011946 on tumor growth in vivo. Results Circ_0011946 and BCL2L2 levels were increased, while miR-216a-5p level was decreased in OSCC tissues and cells. Circ_0011946 knockdown impeded proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted apoptosis in OSCC cells. Circ_0011946 functioned as a sponge for miR-216a-5p, and BCL2L2 was targeted by miR-216a-5p. Besides, miR-216a-5p or BCL2L2 knockdown partly attenuated the inhibitory influences of circ_0011946 silence or miR-216a-5p overexpression on OSCC cell progression. Furthermore, circ_0011946 post-transcriptionally regulated BCL2L2 through sponging miR-216a-5p. Moreover, circ_0011946 knockdown constrained OSCC tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion Circ_0011946 silence repressed OSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but promoted apoptosis through the regulation of the miR-216a-5p/BCL2L2 axis.

Author(s):  
Zhirong Li ◽  
Xuebo Qin ◽  
Wei Bian ◽  
Yishuai Li ◽  
Baoen Shan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In recent years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are of great importance in development of different types of tumors, while the function of lncRNA ZFAS1 is rarely discussed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Therefore, we performed this study to explore the expression of exosomal lncRNA ZFAS1 and its molecular mechanism on ESCC progression. Methods Expression of ZFAS1 and miR-124 in ESCC tissues was detected. LncRNA ZFAS1 was silenced to detect its function in the biological functions of ESCC cells. A stable donor and recipient culture model was established. Eca109 cells transfected with overexpressed and low expressed ZFAS1 plasmid and miR-124 inhibitor labeled by Cy3 were the donor cells, and then co-cultured with recipient cells to observe the transmission of Cy3-ZFAS1 between donor cells and recipient cells. The changes of cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration in recipient cells were detected. The in vivo experiment was conducted for verifying the in vitro results. Results LncRNA ZFAS1 was upregulated and miR-124 was down-regulated in ESCC tissues. Silencing of ZFAS1 contributed to suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor growth in vitro and induced apoptosis of ESCC cells. LncRNA ZFAS1 was considered to be a competing endogenous RNA to regulate miR-124, thereby elevating STAT3 expression. Exosomes shuttled ZFAS1 stimulated proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells and restricted their apoptosis with increased STAT3 and declined miR-124. Furthermore, in vivo experiment suggested that elevated ZFAS1-exo promoted tumor growth in nude mice. Conclusion This study highlights that exosomal ZFAS1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells and inhibits their apoptosis by upregulating STAT3 and downregulating miR-124, thereby resulting in the development of tumorigenesis of ESCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ze-nan Zheng ◽  
Guang-zhao Huang ◽  
Qing-qing Wu ◽  
Heng-yu Ye ◽  
Wei-sen Zeng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral cancer. Our previous studies confirmed that dysregulation function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AC007271.3 was associated with a poor prognosis and overexpression of AC007271.3 promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis in vitro, and promoted tumor growth in vivo. However, the underlying mechanisms of AC007271.3 dysregulation remained obscure.Methods: Bioinformatics databases were used to predicted the potential down-stream targeted of AC007271.3 and verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. Core promoter region of AC007271.3 was identified by luciferase activity assay and the potential transcription factor on it was verified by ChIP assay. Western blot and qRT-PCR were performed to detect the protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, respectively. Animal experiments confirmed the metastatic ability in vivo.Results: AC007271.3 functioned as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by binding to miR-125b-2-3p and upregulated the expression of Slug, which is a direct target of miR-125b-2-3p. AC007271.3 enhanced the expression of Slug and inhibited the expression of E-cadherin to promote the migration and invasion in OSCC cells. The expression of AC007271.3 was promoted by canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Conclusion: Our study showed that the classical NF-κB pathway-activated AC007271.3 regulates EMT by miR-125b-2-3p / Slug / E-cadherin axis to promote the development of OSCC, implicating it as a novel potential target for therapeutic intervention in this disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanyong Qu ◽  
Lina Wang ◽  
Caiyan Wang ◽  
Lingxia Yu ◽  
Kaikai Zhao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chemoresistance is one of the major obstacles for cancer therapy in the clinic. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and chemoresistance. This study aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanism of circ_0006168 in Taxol resistance of ESCC. Methods The expression levels of circ_0006168, microRNA-194-5p (miR-194-5p) and jumonji domain containing 1C (JMJD1C) were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot. The half-inhibition concentration (IC50) value of Taxol was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Cell migration and invasion were detected by transwell assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The interaction between miR-194-5p and circ_0006168 or JMJD1C was predicted by bioinformatics analysis (Circinteractome and TargetScan) and verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays. The mice xenograft model was established to investigate the roles of circ_0006168 in vivo. Results Circ_0006168 and JMJD1C were upregulated and miR-194-5p was downregulated in ESCC tissues, ESCC cells, and Taxol-resistant cells. Functionally, knockdown of circ_0006168 or JMJD1C increased Taxol sensitivity of ESCC in vitro via inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoting apoptosis. Moreover, circ_0006168 could directly bind to miR-194-5p and JMJD1C was verified as a direct target of miR-194-5p. Mechanically, circ_0006168 was a sponge of miR-194-5p to regulate JMJD1C expression in ESCC cells. Furthermore, JMJD1C overexpression reversed the promotive effect of circ_0006168 knockdown on Taxol sensitivity. Besides, circ_0006168 silence suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion Circ_0006168 facilitated Taxol resistance in ESCC by regulating miR-194-5p/JMJD1C axis, providing a promising therapeutic target for ESCC chemotherapy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi He ◽  
Bin Li ◽  
Yang Yang ◽  
Rong Hua ◽  
Zhigang Li

Abstract Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are reported act as important regulators in various cancers. LncRNA JPX was identified as an oncogenic regulator in lung cancer. However, the function of lncRNA JPX in the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Methods: The effects and molecular mechanism of JPX on the progression of ESCC were investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), cell proliferation, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, dual luciferase, cell cycle, 5-Ethynyl-2′-Deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, transwell, RNA pull-down, tube formation and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Results: In the present study, we found JPX was highly expressed in tissues of ESCC patients and different ESCC cell lines. Functional assays demonstrated that JPX promoted ESCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, we found JPX promoted ESCC mobility in vitro. Mechanistically, the results showed that JPX functions as a sponge of miR-516b-5p, which targets an oncogene vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in ESCC cells. Interactions between miR-516b-5p and JPX or VEGFA were confirmed by luciferase reporter assays. Furthermore, inhibition of JPX significantly attenuated the cell growth and mobility ability of ESCC cells in vitro. In addition, miR-516b-5p overexpression abrogated JPX enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of ESCC cells. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that JPX played an important role in promoting ESCC progression via the miR-516b-5p/VEGFA pathway and might serve as a promising novel therapeutic target for ESCC patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 030006052093903
Author(s):  
Xiang Sun ◽  
Huixin Yan

Background MicroRNA (miR)-99a-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in several tumors, including bladder cancer and breast cancer, but its biological function in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is poorly understood. Methods miR-99a-5p expression was determined in OSCC tissues and cell lines using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was assessed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assay. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to analyze migration and invasion abilities, respectively, in OSCC cells. The luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, and western blotting were used to determine the relationship between miR-99a-5p and isoprenylcysteine carboxylmethyltransferase (ICMT). Results miR-99a-5p expression in OSCC tissues and cell lines was significantly decreased compared with corresponding controls, and was significantly associated with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis in OSCC. Functional assays revealed that miR-99a-5p overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of CAL-27 and TCA-8113 OSCC cells. miR-99a-5p was found to directly target ICMT, while ICMT restoration reversed the role of miR-99a-5p in OSCC cells. Conclusions Our results indicate that miR-99a-5p-mediates the down-regulation of ICMT, which could be used as a novel potential therapeutic target for OSCC treatment.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Rui Yao

Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the roles and molecular mechanism of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOXA-AS3 in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods : The expression of HOXA-AS3 and miR-218-5p was detected in OSCC tissues and cells using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were used to examine the effects of HOXA-AS3 and miR-218-5p on the proliferation of OSCC cells. Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm the directly binding condition between lncRNA HOXA-AS3 and miR-218-5p in OSCC cells. Subsequently, a tumor xenograft model was used to determine the function of HOXA-AS3 in OSCC growth in vivo . Results: The relative expression of lncRNA HOXA-AS3 was observably upregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines compared with the para-cancerous tissues and normal human oral keratinocyte (NHOK), respectively. Knockdown of HOXA-AS3 significantly inhibited the cell proliferation and colony formation of OSCC in vitro and in vivo . Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays showed that HOXA-AS3 directly bound to miR-218-5p. Moreover, the expression of miR-218-5p was negatively regulated by HOXA-AS3, and there was an inverse correlation between them. Silencing miR-218-5p reversed the inhibitory effect of lncRNA HOXA-AS3 knockdown on the proliferative potential of OSCC cells. Conclusion: In summary, our study illustrated lncRNA HOXA-AS3 promoted cancer cell proliferation in OSCC possibly by inhibiting miR-218-5p for the first time, which provides a new target or a potential diagnostic biomarker of the treatment for OSCC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunxiu Liu ◽  
Zhenjun Lu ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
Shenfa Zhuang ◽  
Ping Guo

Abstract Objective: X inactivate-specific transcript (XIST) is an attractive long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) functioning as an indicator of various human tumors, including laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The present study was conducted to explore a novel regulatory network of lncRNA XIST in LSCC cells. Materials and methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of XIST, miR-125b-5p and TRIB2 in LSCC cells and tissues. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry and Transwell assays, separately. The relationship among XIST, miR-125b-5p and tribbles homolog 2 (TRIB2) was predicted by starBase v2.0 or TargetScan and confirmed by Dual-luciferase reporter assay. The TRIB2 protein expression was quantified by Western blot assay. Murine xenograft model was utilized to validate the role of XIST in vivo. Results: XIST was notably up-regulated in LSCC tissues and cells, and the high level of XIST was associated with the low survival rate of LSCC patients. XIST knockdown markedly repressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promoted the apoptosis of LSCC cells and the effects were antagonized by loss of miR-125b-5p. MiR-125b-5p was a target of XIST in LSCC cells, and it could bind to TRIB2 as well. Moreover, XIST-loss-induced down-regulation of TRIB2 could be significantly reversed by miR-125b-5p knockdown. XIST promoted the growth of LSCC tumor in vivo. Conclusion: LncRNA XIST promoted the malignance of LSCC cells partly through competitively binding to miR-125b-5p, which in turn increased TRIB2 expression.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deyu Liu ◽  
Xinchun Jian ◽  
Pu Xu ◽  
Rong Zhu ◽  
Yuan Wang

Abstract Background: Increasing studies have demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in tumor progression. However, the potential biological functions and clinical importance of Linc01234 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. Methods: We evaluated the expression profile and prognostic value of Linc01234 in OSCC tissues by RT-qPCR. Then, functional in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the effects of Linc01234 on tumor growth, migration and invasion in OSCC. Mechanistically, RT-qPCR, bioinformatic analysis and dual luciferase reporter assays were performed to identify a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism involving Linc01234, miR-433-3p and PAK4. Results: We found that Linc01234 was clearly upregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines, and its level was positively associated with T stage, lymph node metastasis, differentiation and poor prognosis of patients with OSCC. Our results shown that Linc01234 inhibited cell proliferation and metastatic abilities in CAL27 and SCC25 cells following its knockdown. Mechanistic analysis indicated that Linc01234 may act as a ceRNA (competing endogenous RNA) of miR-433-3p to relieve the repressive effect of miR-433-3p on its target PAK4. Conclusions: Our results indicated that Linc01234 promotes OSCC progression through the Linc01234/miR-433/PAK4 axis and might be a potential therapeutic target for OSCC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodan Wu ◽  
Yihui Fan ◽  
Yupeng Liu ◽  
Biao Shen ◽  
Haimin Lu ◽  
...  

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in human cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the current study, we identified CCAT2 as a relevant lncRNA and investigated its role in the progression of ESCC. RT-qPCR was adopted to detect CCAT2 expression in collected clinical samples, ESCC cell lines, and a normal cell line. We tested the correlation between CCAT2 expression and the prognosis of ESCC. RT-qPCR or immunoblotting was adopted to detect the expression of relevant factors in ESCC tissues or cells. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were examined by colony formation assay, flow cytometry, scratch assay, and Transwell assay, respectively, while subcutaneous tumorigenesis in nude mice was adopted to examine the role of CCAT2 in tumorigenesis of ESCC cells in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis, dual luciferase reporter assay, and RIP were conducted for the target relationship profiling. Me-RIP was adopted to detect m6A modification level of TK1 in ESCC tissues or cells. Upregulated CCAT2, IGF2BP2, and TK1 expression and inhibited miR-200b expression were observed in ESCC cells and tissues. CCAT2 bound to miR-200b and reduced its expression, leading to upregulated IGF2BP2 expression. IGF2BP2 improved TK1 mRNA stability to enhance its expression by recognizing its m6A modification. CCAT2 promoted the migration and invasion of ESCC cells in vitro, and tumorigenesis in vivo by upregulating TK1 expression, while overexpression of miR-200b reversed these effects of CCAT2. Overall, this study suggests that CCAT2 competitively binds to miR-200b to alleviate its inhibitory effects on IGF2BP2 expression, resulting in elevated TK1 expression, and an ensuing promotion of the development of ESCC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixuan Yang ◽  
Bing Zhu ◽  
Zhaofeng Ning ◽  
Xiaodong Wang ◽  
Zhaoxia Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignancy with a high incidence and poor prognosis. The document of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is frequently associated with cancer development. This study intended to explore the functional mechanism of circ_DLG1 in ESCC.Methods: The expression of circ_DLG1, miR-338-3p and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase 9 (MAP3K9) was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell cycle, proliferation, migration and invasion were performed for functional analysis using flow cytometry, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and transwell assay, respectively. The protein levels of MAP3K9, p38, phosphor p38 (p-p38), ERK1/2, phosphor ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) were detected by western blot. Bioinformatics tool for target prediction used the online tool starBase. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the target relationship. The animal experiments were performed to ascertain the role of circ_DLG1 in vivo.Results: The expression of circ_DLG1 was elevated in ESCC tissues, plasma and cells. Circ_DLG1 knockdown inhibited cell cycle, proliferation, migration and invasion. MAP3K9 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues and cells, and its overexpression rescued the effects of circ_DLG1 knockdown. MiR-338-3p was a link between circ_DLG1 and MAP3K9, and circ_DLG1 regulated the expression of MAP3K9 by targeting miR-338-3p. The MAPK/ERK pathway was involved in the circ_DLG1/miR-338-3p/MAP3K9 regulatory axis. Circ_DLG1 knockdown blocked the tumor growth in vivo by regulating miR-338-3p and MAP3K9.Conclusion: Circ_DLG1 contributed to the malignant progression of ESCC by mediating the miR-338-3p/MAP3K9 axis via activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. This paper provided a novel action mode of circ_DLG1 in ESCC.


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