scholarly journals LncRNA NEAT1 regulated diabetic retinal epithelial-mesenchymal transition through regulating miR-204/SOX4 axis

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11817
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Jing Zhou ◽  
Wei hong Li ◽  
Zhi xiong Zhou ◽  
Xiao bo Xia

Aim Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is the key of the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and lncRNA NEAT1 could accelerate EMT in diabetic nephropathy. Meanwhile, as a diabetes susceptibility gene, whether sex-determining region Y-related (SRY) high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) has relationship with lncRNA NEAT1 in DR remains unclear. Methods Firstly, NEAT1, SOX4 and miR-204 were evaluated by qRT-PCR (quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR) under high glucose condition. Then, cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion were respectively detected by MTT, BrdU staining, wound healing and transwell assay after NEAT1 knockdown or miR-204 overexpression. Also, the EMT-related proteins were examined by western blot and cell immunofluorescence assay. In order to confirm the relationship between miR-204 and NEAT1 or SOX4, dual luciferase reporter gene assay was conducted. At the same time, the protein levels of SOX4 and EMT-related proteins were investigated by immunohistochemistry in vivo. Results High glucose upregulated NEAT1 and SOX4 and downregulated miR-204 in ARPE19 cells. NEAT1 knockdown or miR-204 overexpression inhibited the proliferation and EMT progression of ARPE19 cells induced by high glucose. NEAT1 was identified as a molecular sponge of miR-204 to increase the level of SOX4. The effect of NEAT1 knockdown on the progression of EMT under high glucose condition in ARPE19 cells could be reversed by miR-204 inhibitor. Also, NEAT1 knockdown inhibited retinal EMT in diabetic mice. Conclusion NEAT1 regulated the development of EMT in DR through miR-204/SOX4 pathway, which could provide reference for clinical prevention and treatment.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Wang ◽  
Jingzhen Zhou ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Tao Hu ◽  
Yongning Sun

Abstract Background: Previous studies have suggested that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were involved in tumorigenesis in various human carcinomas, including osteosarcoma (OS). However, the expression and specific role of lncRNA NEAT1 in OS remain unknown. The current study aimed at revealing the role of lncRNA NEAT1 and its related mechanism in OS.Methods: Expression profiles of lncRNAs in OS tissues were constructed, and lncRNA NEAT1 expression was verified with RT-qPCR followed by sub-localization. LncRNA-microRNA (miRNA) and miRNA-mRNA interactions were predicted. Validation was performed using dual luciferase reporter gene assay, and gain- and loss-of-function experiments. The effects of lncRNA NEAT1, miR-579 and MMP13 on the proliferation, migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of OS cells were detected using colony formation, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell assays and Western blot analysis.Results: LncRNA NEAT1 overexpression was observed in OS tissues and cell lines which located in the cytoplasm. Transfection-induced downregulation of lncRNA NEAT1/MMP13 or overexpression of miR-579 blocked the progression of OS cells. LncRNA NEAT1 promotes MMP13 through sponging miR-579.Conclusion: LncRNA NEAT1 might be beneficial for OS aggravation via sponging miR-579 and facilitating MMP13 expression, which represents a candidate marker and target for OS therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 476-487
Author(s):  
Bin Xiao ◽  
Xusheng Zhang ◽  
Xiaojuan Li ◽  
Zhipeng Zhao

AbstractOsteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant tumor in the world. Circular RNAs are endogenous non-coding RNAs that have been linked to the development of cancer. However, the role of circ_001569 in OS progression is still unclear. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of circ_001569, microRNA-185-5p (miR-185-5p) and flotillin-2 (FLOT2). The abilities of cell proliferation, migration and invasion were evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell assays, respectively. Also, western blot analysis was performed to assess the levels of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins and FLOT2 protein. Besides, the dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the interactions among circ_001569, miR-185-5p and FLOT2. Circ_001569 expression was increased in OS tissues and cells, and its knockdown reduced the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of OS cells. MiR-185-5p could interact with circ_001569. Inhibition of miR-185-5p could recover the suppression effects of silenced-circ_001569 on the proliferation and metastasis of OS cells. Furthermore, FLOT2 was a target of miR-185-5p. Overexpressed FLOT2 could restore the inhibition effects of miR-185-5p mimic on the proliferation and metastasis of OS cells. Also, FLOT2 expression was regulated by circ_001569 and miR-185-5p. In addition, circ_001569 knockdown also reduced the OS tumor growth in vivo. Circ_001569 might act as an oncogene in OS progression by regulating the miR-185-5p/FLOT2 axis, which provided a reliable new approach for the treatment of OS patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xiaohan Mao ◽  
Yaqian Jin ◽  
Tianyu Feng ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Dan Liu ◽  
...  

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone cancer. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), which is extracted from the roots of the traditional Chinese herb Panax ginseng, plays a tumor suppression role in various malignant tumors. In the present study, we aimed at investigating the role of Rg3 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS and at exploring the underlying mechanisms. Cell viability and proliferation were observed by MTT assay and crystal violet staining. The migration and invasion of cells were measured by wound-healing assay and Transwell method. Signaling pathway screening was investigated using luciferase reporter gene assay. qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to measure the expression of molecules involved in cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Results suggested that Rg3 could not only inhibit proliferation but also hamper the migration and invasion of OS. qRT-PCR and western blot demonstrated that a reduced level of MMP2/MMP7/MMP9 was induced after Rg3 treatment. In addition, the expression levels of proteins related to EMT and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway were downregulated. In summary, our data revealed that Rg3 could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells. This effect of Rg3 might be mediated by downregulating MMP2, MMP7, and MMP9 expression and suppressing EMT as well as the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, Rg3 might be a potential agent for the treatment of OS.


Author(s):  
Shu Wang ◽  
Yuqing Huang ◽  
Guangyan Luo ◽  
Xin Yang ◽  
Wei Huang

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common and complicated chronic kidney disease around the world. To elucidate and find effective therapies of DN is of vital importance. In this paper, we have discovered that Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), which is one of the anthocyanins, could alleviate high glucose induced podocytes dysfunction. MTT, flow cytometry assay and western blot analysis showed that C3G could reverse the increase of cell apoptosis under high glucose treatment in MPC5 cells by up-regulation of Bcl2 and down-regulation of Bax and cleaved-caspase 3. Moreover, C3G improved the autophagy decrease that was induced by high glucose through regulating the expression level of LC3 II/LC3 I, Beclin1 and p62. In addition, C3G inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by increasing E-cadherin and reducing Vimentin. By further mechanisms study, we found C3G activated the SIRT1 and AMPK which were inhibited in high glucose condition. Silencing SIRT1 blocked the effect of C3G on regulating cell apoptosis, autophagy and EMT. In summary, our current findings suggest the protective effect of C3G against high glucose induced podocytes dysfunction is by improving autophagy and reducing apoptosis and EMT via activating SIRT1/AMPK pathway. It might be a new insight for the treatment of DN.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Chen ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
Jia-Kun Xiao ◽  
Lei Xiao ◽  
Bin-Wu Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Osteosarcoma is one of the most prevalent primary bone tumours in adolescents. Accumulating evidence shows that aberrant expression of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1 and microRNA-483 (miR-483) contribute to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion and metastasis of tumour cells. However, the potential regulatory effects of NEAT1 and miR-483 on the EMT of osteosarcoma remain elusive. Methods The expression of the NEAT1, miR-483, signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1), STAT3, and EMT-associated markers was measured using qRT-PCR or western blotting. NEAT1 overexpression or knockdown was induced by lentivirus-mediated transfection. A luciferase reporter assay was employed to confirm the association between NEAT1/miR-483 and miR-483/STAT3. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) was also performed to verify the NEAT1 and miR-483 interaction. Wound healing and transwell assays were implemented to assess the migration and invasion of U2OS cells. Unilateral subcutaneous injection of U2OS into nude mice was performed to investigate tumour metastasis in vivo. Results The expression of miR-483 was downregulated in both osteosarcoma cell lines and osteosarcoma tissues. The overexpression of miR-483 suppressed the migration, invasion, and expression of EMT-associated proteins in U2OS cells, while simultaneous overexpression of STAT3 partially relieved this suppression. Mechanistically, miR-483 specifically targeted the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of STAT3 and repressed its expression. However, NEAT1 sponged miR-438, increased STAT3 expression, and repressed STAT1 expression, subsequently increasing the EMT of osteosarcoma cells. The knockdown of NEAT1 in transplanted U2OS cells impaired the liver and lung metastases of osteosarcoma in nude mice. Moreover, NEAT1 silencing inhibited the mesenchymal- epithelial transition (MET) of osteosarcoma at metastasis sites. Conclusions The lncRNA NEAT1/miR-483/STAT3 axis plays a crucial role in regulating the metastasis of osteosarcoma and potentially represents one appealing therapeutic target for osteosarcoma treatment in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoqi Zhao ◽  
Lan Wang ◽  
Shufang Wang ◽  
Xihua Chen ◽  
Min Liang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Metastasis and invasion are crucial in determining the mortality of cervical carcinoma (CC) patients. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is now a universal explanation for the mechanisms of tumor metastasis. Α-chimeric protein (α-chimaerin, CHN1) plays an important role in the regulation of signal transduction and development. However, the molecular regulatory relationships between CHN1 and CC progression in relation to EMT have not yet been identified. Methods The expression of CHN1 in CC tissues, adjacent tissues, and lymph node metastases from CC patients was detected by immunohistochemistry. Upregulation and knockdown of CHN1 were achieved by transfection of CC cells. The effect of CHN1 on cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 and plate clone formation assays. Changes in migration and invasion capabilities were evaluated using scratch migration and transwell invasion assays. The effect of CHN1 overexpression and interference on xenograft tumor growth was determined by tumor weight and pathological analyses. The expression of EMT-related mRNAs was measured by qRT-PCR in transfected CC cells. EMT-related proteins and Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway-related proteins were also evaluated by western blotting. Results CHN1 was overexpressed in CC tissues and was associated with lymph node metastasis and low survival in CC patients. Overexpression of CHN1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in CC cells. In contrast, silencing of CHN1 inhibited these phenomena. Overexpression of CHN1 promoted tumor formation in an in vivo xenograft tumor mouse model, with increased tumor volumes and weights. In addition, CHN1 induced the expression of EMT-related transcription factors, accompanied by the decreased expression of epithelial markers and increased expression of mesenchymal markers. The Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signaling pathway was activated by overexpression of CHN1 in vitro, and activation of this pathway was inhibited by the signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002. Conclusion These results suggest that CHN1 promotes the development and progression of cervical carcinoma via the Akt/GSK-3β/Snail pathway by inducing EMT.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Li Zhou ◽  
Zhengyang Wu ◽  
Wenguang Zhang ◽  
Miao Xu ◽  
Jianzhuang Ren ◽  
...  

AbstractGrowing evidence has indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role as functional RNAs in diverse cancers. However, most circRNAs involved in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain undefined, and the underlying molecular mechanisms mediated by circRNAs are largely unclear. Here, we screened human circRNA expression profiles in ESCC tissues and found significantly increased expression of hsa_circ_0000277 (termed circPDE3B) in ESCC tissues and cell lines compared to the normal controls. Moreover, higher circPDE3B expression in patients with ESCC was correlated with advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and dismal prognosis. Functional experiments demonstrated that circPDE3B promoted the tumorigenesis and metastasis of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis, a dual-luciferase reporter assay, and anti-AGO2 RNA immunoprecipitation showed that circPDE3B could act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by harboring miR-4766-5p to eliminate the inhibitory effect on the target gene laminin α1 (LAMA1). In addition, LAMA1 was significantly upregulated in ESCC tissues and was positively associated with the aggressive oncogenic phenotype. More importantly, rescue experiments revealed that the oncogenic role of circPDE3B in ESCC is partly dependent on the miR-4766-5p/LAMA1 axis. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis combined with validation experiments showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activation was involved in the oncogenic functions of the circPDE3B–miR-4766-5p/LAMA1 axis in ESCC. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time that the circPDE3B/miR-4766-5p/LAMA1 axis functions as an oncogenic factor in promoting ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by inducing EMT, implying its potential prognostic and therapeutic significance in ESCC.


Open Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 921-931
Author(s):  
Juan Zhao ◽  
Xue-Bin Zeng ◽  
Hong-Yan Zhang ◽  
Jie-Wei Xiang ◽  
Yu-Song Liu

AbstractLong non-coding RNA forkhead box D2 adjacent opposite strand RNA 1 (FOXD2-AS1) has emerged as a potential oncogene in several tumors. However, its biological function and potential regulatory mechanism in glioma have not been fully investigated to date. In the present study, RT-qPCR was conducted to detect the levels of FOXD2-AS1 and microRNA (miR)-506-5p, and western blot assays were performed to measure the expression of CDK2, cyclinE1, P21, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)7, MMP9, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and vimentin in glioma cells. A luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the direct targeting of miR-506-5p by FOXD2-AS1. Subsequently, cell viability was analyzed using the CCK-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed using Transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. The results demonstrated that FOXD2-AS1 was significantly overexpressed in glioma cells, particularly in U251 cells. Knockdown of FOXD2-AS1 in glioma cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and regulated the expression of CDK2, cyclinE1, P21, MMP7 and MMP9. Next, a possible mechanism for these results was explored, and it was observed that FOXD2-AS1 binds to and negatively regulates miR-506-5p, which is known to be a tumor-suppressor gene in certain human cancer types. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-506-5p significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, and these effects could be reversed by transfecting FOXD2-AS1 into the cells. In conclusion, our data suggested that FOXD2-AS1 contributed to glioma proliferation, metastasis and EMT via competitively binding to miR-506-5p. FOXD2-AS1 may be a promising target for therapy in patients with glioma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jiajia Jiang ◽  
Rong Li ◽  
Junyi Wang ◽  
Jie Hou ◽  
Hui Qian ◽  
...  

Circular RNA CDR1as has been demonstrated to participate in various cancer progressions as miRNA sponges. The exact underlying mechanisms of CDR1as on gastric cancer (GC) metastasis remain unknown. Here, we found that CDR1as knockdown facilitated GC cell migration and invasion while its overexpression inhibited the migration and invasion abilities of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, epithelial-mesenchymal transition- (EMT-) associated proteins and MMP2 and MMP9 were downregulated by CDR1as. Bioinformatics analysis combined with dual-luciferase reporter gene assays, western blot, RT-qPCR analysis, and functional rescue experiments demonstrated that CDR1as served as a miR-876-5p sponge and upregulated the target gene GNG7 expression to suppress GC metastasis. In summary, our findings indicate that CDR1as suppresses GC metastasis through the CDR1as/miR-876-5p/GNG7 axis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanshu Ji ◽  
Xiaoyu Zhang

Abstract Purpose: lncRNA NEAT1 has been reported as a tumor-promoting gene in a variety of tumors, but few studies have explored its role and mechanism in gastric cancer. In the face of increasing incidence of gastric cancer, how to improve the diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic effect of gastric cancer is a major clinical problem. Therefore, we studied the effect and mechanism of lncRNA NEAT1 on the proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells. To inquiry into the effect of lncRNA NEAT1 on the proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer (GC) cells by regulating miR-129-5p/PBX3 axis. Methods: Totally 63 GC diagnosed and treated in our hospital were selected as the study subjects, whose paired GC tissues and pericarcinomatous tissues were collected as the study specimens after obtaining their consent. QRT-PCR was employed to detect the NEAT1 expression in tissues and cells to analyze the relationship between NEAT1 and clinicopathological data of GC patients. In addition, stable and transient overexpression and inhibition vectors were established and transfected into GC cells HCG-27 and MKN-45. CCK-8, traswell, and flow cytometry were employed to evaluate the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of transfected cells. The correlation of miR-129-5p between PBX3 and NEAT1 was assessed using dual luciferase reporter assay, while that between NEAT1 and miR-129-5p was assessed by RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) . Western blot was applied for the detection of apoptosis and EMT related proteins.Results: NEAT1 was overexpressed in GC patients and had a high diagnostic value. The expression of NEAT1 was related to the pathological stage, differentiation degree, tumor size and lymph node metastasis of patients with GC. Down-regulated NEAT1 brought decreased cell proliferation, invasion and EMT, and increased apoptosis. According to dual luciferase reporter assay, NEAT1 could target miR-129-5p, while in turn miR-129-5p could target PBX3. Functional analysis exhibited that miR-129-5p overexpression inhibited PBX3 in GC cells, affecting cell proliferation, invasion, EMT and apoptosis, and rescue experiments demonstrated that these effects were eliminated by up-regulating NEAT1 expression.Conclusion: Inhibition of NEAT1 could mediate miR-129-5p/PBX3 axis to promote apoptosis of GC cells, and reduce cell proliferation, invasion and EMT.


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