scholarly journals Circular RNA circVAPA contributes to non-small-cell lung cancer progression via miR-342-3p-dependent regulation of ZEB2

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyang Liu ◽  
Yang Cheng ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Yinhong Zhang

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal regulatory roles in the pathology of cancers. Disclosing the roles and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in tumorigenesis and development is essential to identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In this study, we explored the role of circVAPA in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression and its associated mechanism. Methods The expression level of RNA was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay and colony-forming assay. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell assays. Dual-luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to test the intermolecular interactions. The role of circVAPA was assessed in vivo. And xenograft tumor tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results CircVAPA expression was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and a high level of circVAPA was associated with a poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. CircVAPA silencing suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. CircVAPA served as a molecular sponge for microRNA-342-3p (miR-342-3p). miR-342-3p interference largely reversed circVAPA knockdown-mediated anti-tumor effects in NSCLC cells. Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) was a target of miR-342-3p, and miR-342-3p overexpression suppressed the malignant behaviors of NSCLC cells largely by downregulating ZEB2. CircVAPA silence repressed xenograft tumor growth in vivo, and IHC assay confirmed that circVAPA silence restrained the proliferation and metastasis but induced the apoptosis of NSCLC cells in vivo. Conclusion CircVAPA contributes to the progression of NSCLC by binding to miR-342-3p to upregulate ZEB2. CircVAPA/miR-342-3p/ZEB2 axis might be a novel potential target for NSCLC treatment.

Author(s):  
Haiping Xiao

Abstract Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Distant metastasis is thought to be one of the most important factors responsible for the failure of NSCLC therapy. MicroRNA-7-5p (miR-7-5p) has been demonstrated to be a tumor suppressor in breast cancer, hepatocarcinoma, prostate cancer and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, its role in NSCLC is still not fully understood. This study evaluated the role of miR-7-5p in the progression of NSCLC and explored the underlying mechanism. Materials & methods The quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), MTT, migration and invasion assays were used to evaluate the effects of miR-7-5p on the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and SPCA-1 cells. A tumor xenograft model was created to determine the effects of miR-7-5p on metastasis in vivo. The dual-luciferase reporter gene, neuro-oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2) overexpression and western blotting assays were performed to explore the underlying mechanism. Results MiR-7-5p is downregulated in NSCLC tissues and lung cancer cell lines. It suppresses proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT marker expression in vitro and in vivo. Further study showed that miR-7-5p suppresses tumor metastasis of NSCLC by targeting NOVA2. Overexpression of NOVA2 attenuates the miR-7-5p-mediated inhibitory effect on lung cancer cells. Conclusion MiR-7-5p suppresses NSCLC metastasis. Targeting miR-7-5p may contribute to the success of NSCLC therapy.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihong Zhang ◽  
Zhenxiu Shan ◽  
Rubin Chen ◽  
Xiaorong Peng ◽  
Bin Xu ◽  
...  

AbstractNon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading threat to human lives with high incidence and mortality. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were reported to play important roles in human cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of circ_0005962 and explore the underlying functional mechanisms. The expression of circ_0005962, miR-382-5p and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation and cell apoptosis were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry assay, respectively. The protein levels of Beclin 1, light chain3 (LC3-II/LC3-I), PDK4, Cleaved Caspase 3 (C-caspase 3) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were examined using western blot analysis. Glycolysis was determined according to the levels of glucose consumption and lactate production. The interaction between miR-382-5p and circ_0005962 or PDK4 was predicted by the online tool CircInteractome or starbase and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Xenograft model was constructed to investigate the role of circ_0005962 in vivo. circ_0005962 expressed with a high level in NSCLC tissues and cells. Circ_0005962 knockdown inhibited proliferation, autophagy, and glycolysis but promoted apoptosis in NSCLC cells. MiR-382-5p was targeted by circ_0005962, and its inhibition reversed the role of circ_0005962 knockdown. Besides, PDK4, a target of miR-382-5p, was regulated by circ_0005962 through miR-382-5p, and its overexpression abolished the effects of miR-382-5p reintroduction. Circ_0005962 knockdown suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0005962 knockdown restrained cell proliferation, autophagy, and glycolysis but stimulated apoptosis through modulating the circ_0005962/miR-382-5p/PDK4 axis. Our study broadened the insights into understanding the mechanism of NSCLC progression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junmin Li ◽  
Rongmei Fan ◽  
Hui Xiao

Abstract Background A growing body of evidence has demonstrated the vital roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer progression and drug resistance. We intended to explore the roles and mechanisms of circ_ZFR in the paclitaxel (PTX) resistance and progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Two NSCLC cell lines A549 and H460 were used in this study. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was conducted to measure the levels of circ_ZFR, ZFR, miR-195-5p and karyopherin subunit alpha 4 (KPNA4) mRNA. RNase R assay was used to analyze the characteristic of circ_ZFR. MTT assay was carried out to assess PTX resistance and cell proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis was utilized to analyze cell cycle and apoptosis. Transwell assay was used to examine cell migration and invasion. Western blot assay was conducted to measure the protein levels of Ki67, Twist1, E-cadherin and KPNA4. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was adopted to verify the combination between miR-195-5p and circ_ZFR or KPNA4. Murine xenograft model assay was used to investigate the effect of circ_ZFR on PTX resistance of NSCLC in vivo. Results Circ_ZFR level was enhanced in PTX-resistant NSCLC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ_ZFR suppressed PTX resistance, cell cycle process, proliferation, migration and invasion and induced apoptosis in PTX-resistant NSCLC cells. For mechanism analysis, circ_ZFR knockdown markedly downregulated the expression of KPNA4 by sponging miR-195-5p, thereby promoting PTX sensitivity and suppressing cell progression in PTX-resistant NSCLC cells. In addition, circ_ZFR silencing enhanced PTX sensitivity of NSCLC in vivo. Conclusion Circ_ZFR knockdown played a positive role in overcoming PTX resistance of NSCLC via regulating miR-195-5p/KPNA4 axis, which might provide a possible circRNA-targeted therapy for NSCLC.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Li-Na Pan ◽  
Yun-Fang Ma ◽  
Jia-An Hu ◽  
Zhi-Hong Xu

Circular RNA (circRNA) has been shown to participate in various tumors, including lung cancer. In the present study, we explored the expression and functional relevance of hsa_circ_0003288 in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We verified that hsa_circ_0003288 expression was upregulated in lung cancer tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of hsa_circ_0003288 dramatically promoted lung cancer cell proliferation, colony formation, inhibited apoptosis, and increased cell migration and invasion in vitro. Xenograft experiments showed that hsa_circ_0003288 overexpression accelerated tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0003288 negatively regulated miR-145 to exert the oncogenic role in lung cancer. Overexpression of miR-145 decreased cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and suppressed migration and invasion in lung cancer. Additionally, miR-145 co-transfection abolished the oncogenic role of hsa_circ_0003288. Collectively, these findings identified a novel regulatory role of hsa_circ_0003288/miR-145 axis in the progression of NSCLC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-252
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Zhonghua Sun ◽  
Yuepei Zou

In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to detect the abundance of NEAT1, microRNA-582-5p (miR-582-5p) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 2 (EIF4G2). Proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis and glycolytic metabolism were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) flow cytometry, transwell assays and fluorescence-based glucose and lactate assay kits. The targets of NEAT1 and miR-582-5p were predicted by the starBase website, and dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were performed to verify these predictions. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the protein expression of EIF4G2. A xenograft tumor model was built to clarify the role of NEAT1 in vivo. Results showed that NEAT1 interference inhibited proliferation, metastasis and glycolysis, and facilitated the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. MiR-582-5p was a functional target of NEAT1, and the biological influence of NEAT1 intervention on NSCLC cells was alleviated by transfection with anti-miR-582-5p. MiR-582-5p could bind to EIF4G2 messenger RNA (mRNA); it exerted its antitumor role in NSCLC cells by inhibiting EIF4G2. EIF4G2 was regulated by NEAT1/miR-582- 5p signaling. NEAT1 accelerated NSCLC tumor growth via the miR-582-5p/EIF4G2 axis in vivo. In conclusion, NEAT1 affected NSCLC by elevating their malignant potential via the miR-582-5p/EIF4G2 axis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuxin Li ◽  
Jianyi Lv ◽  
Xing Zhang ◽  
Zhihui Li ◽  
Xueyun Huo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most malignant tumors with poor prognosis. RNA-binding protein (RBP) human antigen D (HuD) has been indicated in the process of tumorigenesis and progression of lung tumors, as well as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA). However, the role of HuD and lncRNA in SCLC remains unknown. Methods: Realtime PCR were used to examine the circulating levels of LYPLAL1-DT in the 46 SCLC patients and 18 normal controls. Assays of dual- luciferase reporter system, RNA pull-down were performed to determine that LYPLAL1-DT could sponge miR-204-5p to upregulate the expression of PFN2. Migration and invasion assay, CCK8 and colony formation assay were used to detect the malignant effect of HuD and LYPLAL1-DT. Tumor xenograft model was established and IHC assay was performed to determine how HuD and LAPLAL1-DT impact in vivo. Results: We revealed that HuD was highly expressed in SCLC tissues and cell lines. HuD boosts the proliferation, migration, invasion of SCLC cells by increasing the PFN2 mRNA stability, which promotes cytoskeleton formation. HuD also enhanced the stability of lncRNA LYPLAL1-DT, which expressed highly in the serum of patients with SCLC and acted as an oncogenic lncRNA in SCLC cells as confirmed in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LYPLAL1-DT functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for sponging miR-204-5p, leading to the upregulation of its target PFN2 to promote SCLC cell proliferation and invasion. In summary, our data reveal a regulatory pathway in which HuD stabilizes PFN2 mRNA and LYPLAL1-DT, which in turn increases PFN2 expression by binding to miR-204-5p, and ultimately promotes tumorigenesis and invasion in SCLC.Conclusions: Our findings reveal novel regulatory axes involving HuD/PFN2 and lncRNA LYPLAL1-DT/miR-204-5p/PFN2 in the development and progression of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), providing novel prognostic indicators and promising therapeutic targets.


2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daping Fan ◽  
Yue Yang ◽  
Wei Zhang

Abstract Background Resistance to gefitinib remains a major obstacle for the successful treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. In this paper, we studied the precise actions of circular RNA (circRNA) microtubule actin crosslinking factor 1 (circ_MACF1) in gefitinib resistance. Methods We established gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells (PC9/GR and A549/GR). The levels of circ_MACF1, microRNA (miR)-942-5p, and transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFBR2) were gauged by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) or western blot. Subcellular fractionation and Ribonuclease R (RNase R) assays were done to characterize circ_MACF1. Cell survival, proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), 5-Ethynyl-2’-Deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation, flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to verify the direct relationship between miR-942-5p and circ_MACF1 or TGFBR2. The xenograft assays were used to assess the role of circ_MACF1 in vivo. Results Circ_MACF1 was down-regulated in A549/GR and PC9/GR cells. Overexpression of circ_MACF1 repressed proliferation, migration, invasion, and promoted apoptosis and gefitinib sensitivity of A549/GR and PC9/GR cells in vitro, as well as inhibited tumor growth under gefitinib in vivo. Circ_MACF1 directly targeted miR-942-5p, and miR-942-5p mediated the regulatory effects of circ_MACF1. TGFBR2 was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-942-5p. Circ_MACF1 modulated TGFBR2 expression through miR-942-5p. Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that circ_MACF1 regulated cell functional behaviors and gefitinib sensitivity of A549/GR and PC9/GR cells at least partially by targeting miR-942-5p to induce TGFBR2 expression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Furui Zhang ◽  
Ruirui Cheng ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
Chunya Lu ◽  
Guojun Zhang

Abstract Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a threat to human health. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proved to function in NSCLC development. In this study, the role of circRNA hsa_circ_0010235 in NSCLC progression and the possible molecular mechanism were explored. Methods Expression of hsa_circ_0010235, miRNA (miR)-433-3p and TOR signaling pathway regulator-like (TIPRL) was examined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell viability and clonogenicity were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay, respectively. Flow cytometry was performed to monitor cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. Western blot assay was employed to evaluate the protein levels of TIPRL, light chain 3 (LC3)-II/I and p62. Cell metastasis was assessed by Transwell and wound healing assays. The targeted relationship between miR-433-3p and hsa_circ_0010235 or TIPRL was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Furthermore, the role of hsa_circ_0010235 in vivo was investigated by xenograft assay. Results Hsa_circ_0010235 and TIPRL were highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells, while miR-433-3p was downregulated. Depletion of hsa_circ_0010235 or gain of miR-433-3p repressed proliferation and autophagy but promoted apoptosis in NSCLC cells. Hsa_circ_0010235 sponged miR-433-3p to upregulate TIPRL expression, so as to affect NSCLC development. Hsa_circ_0010235 knockdown also blocked tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion Hsa_circ_0010235 knockdown suppressed NSCLC progression by regulating miR-433-3p/TIPRL axis, affording a novel mechanism of NSCLC progression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanshun Wen ◽  
Hongxiang Feng ◽  
Qianli Ma ◽  
Chaoyang Liang

Abstract Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most prevalent cancers. As reported, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) induce various biological behaviors in cancers. LncRNA PCGEM1 prostate-specific transcript (PCGEM1) is reported to exert carcinogenic effect on certain cancers. Our research aimed to explore the role of PCGEM1 in NSCLC. Methods We enrolled forty NSCLC patients to explore PCGEM1 expression in clinical NSCLC tissues. Colony formation assay, CCK-8, Transwell assay were conducted to reveal cell proliferation, viability, migration and invasion. Luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull down, and RIP assay were performed to investigate the downstream axis of PCGEM1. Results PCGEM1 was significantly upregulated in NSCLC cells and tissues. Subsequently, in vitro loss-of-function experiments illustrated the carcinogenic role of PCGEM1 in NSCLC through promoting viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion. MiR-590-3p was confirmed to be a downstream gene of PCGEM1. Furthermore, SRY-box transcription factor 11 (SOX11) was verified to be a target of miR-590-3p. Additionally, rescue experiments indicated that miR-590-3p inhibitor or pcDNA3.1/SOX11 rescued the impacts of downregulated PCGEM1 on NSCLC cell proliferation, viability, migration and invasion. Conclusions LncRNA PCGEM1 aggravated proliferative and migrative abilities in NSCLC via the miR-590-3p/SOX11 axis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunpeng Liu ◽  
Xingyu Lin ◽  
Shiyao Zhou ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Guoguang Shao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The HOXA cluster antisense RNA 2 (HOXA-AS2) has recently been discovered to be involved in carcinogenesis in multiple cancers. However, the role and underlying mechanism of HOXA-AS2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) yet need to be unraveled. Methods: HOXA-AS2 expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines was detected using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, the effects of HOXA-AS2 on NSCLC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed by MTS, flow cytometry, wound healing and transwell invasion assays, respectively. Starbase2.0 predicted and luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to validate the association of HOXA-AS2 and miR-520a-3p in NSCLC cells. Results: Our results revealed that HOXA-AS2 in NSCLC tissues were up-regulated and cell lines, and were associated with poor prognosis and overall survival. Further functional assays demonstrated that HOXA-AS2 knockdown significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis and suppressed migration and invasion. Starbase2.0 predicted that HOXA-AS2 sponge miR-520a-3p at 3′-UTR, which was confirmed using luciferase reporter and RIP assays. miR-520a-3p expression was inversely correlated with HOXA-AS2 expression in NSCLC tissues. In addition, miR-520a-3p inhibitor attenuated the inhibitory effect of HOXD-AS2-depletion on cell proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Moreover, HOXA-AS2 could regulate HOXD8 and MAP3K2 expression, two known targets of miR-520a-3p in NSCLC. Conclusion: These findings implied that HOXA-AS2 promoted NSCLC progression by regulating miR-520a-3p, suggesting that HOXA-AS2 could serve as a therapeutic target for NSCLC.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document