Long noncoding RNA ZFPM2-AS1 is involved in lung adenocarcinoma via miR-511-3p/AFF4 pathway

The Biological Significance of AFF4: Promoting Transcription Elongation, Osteogenic Differentiation and Tumor Progression

As a member of the AF4/FMR2 (AFF) family, AFF4 is a scaffold protein in the superelongation complex (SEC). In this mini-view, we discuss the role of AFF4 as a transcription elongation factor that mediates HIV activation and replication and stem cell osteogenic differentiation. AFF4 also promotes the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, leukemia, breast cancer, bladder cancer and other malignant tumors. The biological function of AFF4 is largely achieved through SEC assembly, regulates SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2), MYC, estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1), inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1), c-Jun and noncanonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription and combines with fusion in sarcoma (FUS), unique regulatory cyclins (CycT1), or mixed lineage leukemia (MLL). We explore the prospects of using AFF4 as a therapeutic in Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and malignant tumors and its potential as a stemness regulator.

MicroRNA-511-3p regulates Aβ1-40 induced decreased cell viability and serves as a candidate biomarker in Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with high incidence in the elderly population. MicroRNAs have been reported to abnormally expressed in patients with AD. In this study, we investigated the role of inflammation-related miR-511-3p in AD patients and AD cell models.

METHOD

The level of miR-511-3p was quantified by Real-Time PCR. The diagnostic value was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. The correlation between miR-511-3p expression levels and ini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and inflammatory factors was analyzed. The concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in AD cell model and serum from AD patients.

RESULT

Serum miR-511-3p expression was decreased in AD patients and correlated with MMSE score, MoCA score and inflammatory response. MiR-511-3p mimics significantly reversed the effects of Aβ 1-40 on inflammation in AD cells. ROC curve results showed that miR-511-3p had high diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing normal controls from AD patients.

CONCLUSION

Our results show that miR-511-3p is down-regulated in AD patients and has high diagnostic value. MiR-511-3p may participate in the development of AD by regulating the levels of neuroinflammatory factors in AD cells. MiR-511-3p may provide a new perspective for the prevention and pathogenesis of AD.

Hsa_circ_0003528 promotes cell malignant transformation and immune escape via increasing oncogene PDL1 through sponging miR-511-3p in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important regulatory roles in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). At present, we aimed to explore the regulatory role of has_circ_0003528 (circ_0003528) in NSCLC.

METHODS

Alterations of circ_0003528 expression in NSCLC samples and cell lines were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Impacts of circ_0003528 on NSCLC cell malignant transformation were analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell invasion, and tube formation assays. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers were detected with western blotting. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The regulation mechanism of circ_0003528 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. The tumorigenesis role of circ_0003528 was verified by animal experiments.

RESULTS

Higher levels of circ_0003528 were obtained in NSCLC samples and cell lines, and patients with high circ_0003528 expression had a worse prognosis. Silence of circ_0003528 decreased xenograft growth in mouse models and induced cell apoptosis and repressed cell viability, proliferation, invasion, EMT, angiogenesis, and immune escape in NSCLC cells in vitro. Mechanistically, circ_0003528 controlled programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) expression through interaction with miR-511-3p. The inhibiting impacts of circ_0003528 knockdown on NSCLC cell malignant transformation and immune escape were weakened after miR-511-3p silencing. Moreover, PDL1 overexpression partially counteracted miR-511-3p upregulation-mediated suppression on NSCLC cell malignant transformation and immune escape.

CONCLUSIONS

Circ_0003528 facilitated NSCLC cell malignant transformation and immune escape through regulation of the miR-511-3p/PDL1 axis, highlighting the oncogenic role of circ_0003528 in NSCLC.

Positive feedback regulation of lncRNA TPT1-AS1 and ITGB3 promotes cell growth and metastasis in pancreatic cancer

Emerging evidence has indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potential biomarkers and play crucial roles in cancer development. However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of lncRNA TPT1-AS1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain elusive. RNAseq data of PDAC tissues and normal tissues were analyzed, and lncRNAs which were associated with PDAC prognosis were identified. The clinical relevance of TPT1-AS1 for PDAC patients was explored, and the effects of TPT1-AS1 in PDAC progression were investigated in vitro and in vivo. LncRNA TPT1-AS1 was highly expressed in PDAC, and high TPT1-AS1 levels predicted a poor prognosis. Moreover, functional experiments revealed that TPT1-AS1 promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, TPT1-AS1 functioned as an endogenous sponge for miR-30a-5p, which increased integrin β3 (ITGB3) level in pancreatic cancer cells. Conversely, our data revealed that ITGB3 could activate the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which in turn bound directly to the TPT1-AS1 promoter and affected the expression of TPT1-AS1, thus forming a positive feedback loop with TPT1-AS1. Taken together, our results uncovered a reciprocal loop of TPT1-AS1 and ITGB3 which contributed to pancreatic cancer growth and development, and indicated that TPT1-AS1 might serve as a novel potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PDAC patients.

Long noncoding RNA ZFPM2-AS1 regulates renal cell carcinoma progression via miR-130a-3p/ESCO2

Previous studies reported that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) ZFPM2-AS1 is upregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the biological role of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 in RCC has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the role of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 in the progression of RCC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used for gene expression analysis, and functional assays including Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry-based apoptosis assay and transwell migration assays were performed to examine the malignant phenotypes. The functional interaction between ZFPM2-AS1 or miR-130A-3P and their targets was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay. We found that the expressions of ZFPM2-AS1 and ESCO2 were upregulated in RCC tissues and cells, whereas miR-130a-3p was downregulated. The expression level of ZFPM2-AS1 is significantly associated with advanced TNM, distant metastasis, lymphatic metastasis, and a poor overall survival in RCC patients. Silencing ZFPM2-AS1 in RCC cells suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and induced cell apoptosis. ZFPM2-AS1 interacted with miR-130A-3P and negatively regulated its expression in RCC cells. We further showed that ESCO2 was a downstream target of miR-130a-3p. Both miR-130a-3p inhibitor and ESCO2 overexpression could rescue the inhibitory effects of ZFPM2-AS1 knockdown in RCC cells. Together, our study demonstrates that ZFPM2-AS1 plays an oncogenic role in RCC progression via the miR-130a-3p/ESCO2 axis.

lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 promotes retinoblastoma progression by targeting microRNA miR-511-3p/paired box protein 6 (PAX6) axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play crucial roles in retinoblastoma progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 (ZFPM2-AS1) in retinoblastoma progression. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting assays were performed to determine the expression of lncRNA, microRNA (miRNA), mRNA, and protein. The changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell migration were assessed by functional experiments. The interaction between ZFPM2-AS1, miR-511-3p, and paired box protein 6 (PAX6) was confirmed by a luciferase assay. Our study found that ZFPM2-AS1 and PAX6 were upregulated, whereas miR-511-3p was downregulated in retinoblastoma. ZFPM2-AS1 inhibition decreased the viability and migration of retinoblastoma cells. We also found that ZFPM2-AS1 targets miR-511-3p to upregulate PAX6 in Y79 and SO-RB50 cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that inhibiting miR-511-3p reversed the negative effects of silencing ZFPM2-AS1 and PAX6 on retinoblastoma cell viability and migration. In conclusion, retinoblastoma development is regulated by the ZFPM2-AS1/511-3p/PAX6 axis.

Cholesterol modified DP7 and pantothenic acid induce dendritic cell homing to enhance the efficacy of dendritic cell vaccines

Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer vaccines have so far achieved good therapeutic effects in animal experiments and early clinical trials for certain malignant tumors. However, the overall objective response rate in clinical trials rarely exceeds 15%. The poor efficiency of DC migration to lymph nodes (LNs) (< 5%) is one of the main factors limiting the effectiveness of DC vaccines. Therefore, increasing the efficiency of DC migration is expected to further enhance the efficacy of DC vaccines. Here, we used DP7-C (cholesterol modified VQWRIRVAVIRK), which can promote DC migration, as a medium. Through multiomics sequencing and biological experiments, we found that it is the metabolite pantothenic acid (PA) that improves the migration and effectiveness of DC vaccines. We clarified that both DP7-C and PA regulate DC migration by regulating the chemokine receptor CXCR2 and inhibiting miR-142a-3p to affect the NF-κB signaling pathway. This study will lay the foundation for the subsequent use of DP7-C as a universal substance to promote DC migration, further enhance the antitumor effect of DC vaccines, and solve the bottleneck problem of the low migration efficiency and unsatisfactory clinical response rate of DC vaccines.

SP1-induced lncRNA ZFPM2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) aggravates glioma progression via the miR-515-5p/Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) axis

Glioma is a common life-threatening tumor with high malignancy and high invasiveness. LncRNA ZFPM2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) was confirmed to be implicated in numerous tumors, while its biological function and mechanism have not been thoroughly understood in glioma. The gene expression was measured by RT-qPCR. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis of glioma cells were validated by CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry and TUNEL assays. The effect of ZFPM2-AS1 on tumor growth was verified by in vivo assay. The exploration on ZFPM2-AS1-mediated mechanism was carried out via ChIP, luciferase reporter, and RIP assays. In the present study, ZFPM2-AS1 was demonstrated as a highly-expressed lncRNA in glioma tissues and cells. ZFPM2-AS1 silencing suppressed cell proliferation and cell cycle, but facilitated cell apoptosis. In addition, the inhibitive effect of silenced ZFPM2-AS1 was also observed in tumor growth. Furthermore, we found that SP1 interacted with ZFPM2-AS1 promoter to transcriptionally activate ZFPM2-AS1 expression. Moreover, ZFPM2-AS1 was identified as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-515-5p to target SOD2. Rescue assays verified that SOD2 overexpression partially abolished the suppressive impact of ZFPM2-AS1 silencing on glioma cell growth. In conclusion, this study corroborated the regulatory mechanism of SP1/ZFPM2-AS1/miR-515-5p/SOD2 axis in glioma, indicating that targeting ZFPM2-AS1 might be an effective way to treat glioma.

MiR-133b suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells by targeting SKA3

Spindle and Kinetochore Associated Complex Subunit 3 (SKA3) is crucial for anaphase mitosis. However, the relationship between SKA3 and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been fully clarified. Differentially expressed genes were first identified by analyzing data from TCGA. It was found that miR-133b was significantly lowly expressed in LUAD, while SKA3 was remarkably highly expressed. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), wound healing assay and Transwell assay uncovered that overexpressing miR-133b could inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of LUAD cells. In addition, the targeting relationship between miR-133b and SKA3 was also verified by dual-luciferase analysis. Moreover, it was proved by the rescue assay that the overexpression of miR-133b significantly downregulated SKA3 in LUAD cells. All in all, these findings revealed the role of miR-133b and SKA3 in regulating the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUAD cells. This study could yield new information about the mechanisms of LUAD.

MiR-425-5p accelerated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells via targeting AFF4

Background

Accumulating data have established that microRNAs (miRNAs) play significant regulatory roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer (OC). MiR-425-5p was reported to function in various tumors. However, the roles and underlying mechanism of miR-425-5p involvement in OC development and progression are unclear.

Methods

A comprehensive strategy of data mining, computational biology, and real-time polymerase chain reaction was employed to identify the involvement of miR-425-5p in OC progression. The effect of miR-425-5p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells was determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, wound-healing, and Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. Luciferase assay was performed to evaluate the interactions between miR-425-5p and MAGI2-AS3 or AFF4.

Results

miR-425-5p was significantly up-regulated in OC tissues and cells. The luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-425-5p was negatively regulated by MAGI2-AS3. Silencing miR-425-5p inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay revealed that AFF4 was the target gene of miR-425-5p. Moreover, AFF4 expression was significantly decreased in OC and was closely related to the good prognosis of patients with OC. AFF4 overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells in vitro. By contrast, silencing AFF4 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells in vitro. Finally, AFF4 suppression rescued the inhibitory effect of silencing miR-425-5p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells.

Conclusion

To the best our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that miR-425-5p overexpression in OC is negatively regulated by MAGI2-AS3. Moreover, miR-425-5p promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells by targeting AFF4, suggesting that miR-425-5p/AFF4 signaling pathway represented a novel therapeutic target for patients with OC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13048-021-00894-x.

Identification of a Ferroptosis-Related Signature Model Including mRNAs and lncRNAs for Predicting Prognosis and Immune Activity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Ferroptosis is a novel form of regulated cell death involved in tumor progression. The role of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

Methods

RNA-seq and clinical data for HCC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Genomic Data Commons (GDC) portal. Bioinformatics methods, including weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), Cox regression, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, were used to identify signature markers for diagnosis/prognosis. The tumor microenvironment, immune infiltration and functional enrichment were compared between the low-risk and high-risk groups. Subsequently, small molecule drugs targeting ferroptosis-related signature components were predicted via the L1000FWD and PubChem databases.

Results

The prognostic model consisted of 2 ferroptosis-related mRNAs (SLC1A5 and SLC7A11) and 8 ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (AC245297.3, MYLK-AS1, NRAV, SREBF2-AS1, AL031985.3, ZFPM2-AS1, AC015908.3, MSC-AS1). The areas under the curves (AUCs) were 0.830 and 0.806 in the training and test groups, respectively. Decision curve analysis (DCA) revealed that the ferroptosis-related signature performed better than all pathological characteristics. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor. The survival probability of low- and high-risk patients could be clearly distinguished by the principal component analysis (PCA) plot. The risk score divided HCC patients into two distinct groups in terms of immune status, especially checkpoint gene expression, which was further supported by the Gene Ontology (GO) biological process, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Finally, several small molecule drugs (SIB-1893, geldanamycin and PD-184352, etc) targeting ferroptosis-related signature components were identified for future reference.

Conclusion

We constructed a new ferroptosis-related mRNA/lncRNA signature for HCC patients. The model can be used for prognostic prediction and immune evaluation, providing a reference for immunotherapies and targeted therapies.

Multi-Omics Integrative Bioinformatics Analyses Reveal Long Non-coding RNA Modulates Genomic Integrity via Competing Endogenous RNA Mechanism and Serves as Novel Biomarkers for Overall Survival in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a crucial role in modulating genome instability, immune characteristics, and cancer progression, within which genome instability was identified as a critical regulator in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, the existing accounts fail to detail the regulatory role of genome instability in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We explored the clinical value of genome instability-related lncRNA in LUAD with multi-omics bioinformatics analysis. We extracted the key genome instability-related and LUAD-related gene modules using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and established a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network using four lncRNAs (LINC01224, LINC00346, TRPM2-AS, and CASC9) and seven target mRNAs (CCNF, PKMYT1, GCH1, TK1, PSAT1, ADAM33, and DDX11). We found that LINC01224 is primarily located in the cytoplasm and that LINC00346 and TRPM2-AS are primarily located in the nucleus (CASC9 unknown). We found that all 11 genes were positively related to tumor mutational burden and involve drug resistance, cancer stemness, and tumor microenvironment infiltration. Additionally, an eight-lncRNA genome instability-related lncRNA signature was established and validated, predicting the overall survival and immunotherapy outcomes in LUAD. To conclude, we discovered that sponging microRNA, genome instability-related lncRNA functions as ceRNA, modulating genomic integrity. This research provides clinical references for LUAD immunotherapy and prognosis and interprets a potential genome instability-related ceRNA regulatory network in which LINC01224-miR-485-5p/miR-29c-3p-CCNF-RRM2 and LINC01224-miR485-5p-PKMYT1-CDK1 axes were the most promising pathways. However, the potential mechanisms underlying our findings still need biological validation through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

ZFPM2-AS1 transcriptionally mediated by STAT1 regulates thyroid cancer cell growth, migration and invasion via miR-515-5p/TUSC3

Objective: Our purpose was to study the roles and molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ZFPM2 Antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) in thyroid cancer.

Methods: Firstly, the expression of ZFPM2-AS1, miR-515-5p and TUSC3 was detected in thyroid cancer tissues and cells. Secondary, their biological functions (proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion) were analyzed by a serious of functional experiments including cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), clone formation, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), wound healing and Transwell assays. Thirdly, the mechanisms of STAT1/ZFPM2-AS1 and ZFPM2-AS1/miR-515-5p/TUSC were validated using chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP), pull-down and luciferase reporter assays.

Results: ZFPM2-AS1 and TUSC were both highly expressed and miR-515-5p was down-regulated in thyroid cancer tissues as well as cells. Their knockdown weakened thyroid cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion. ZFPM2-AS1 was mainly distributed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of thyroid cancer cells. Mechanistically, up-regulation of ZFPM2-AS1 was induced by transcription factor STAT1 in line with CHIP and luciferase reporter assays. Furthermore, as a sponge of miR-515-5p, ZFPM2-AS1 decreased the ability of miR-515-5p to inhibit TUSC3 expression by pull-down, luciferase reporter and gain-and-loss assays, thereby promoting malignant progression of thyroid cancer.

Conclusion: ZFPM2-AS1 acted as an oncogene in thyroid cancer, which was transcriptionally mediated by STAT1. Furthermore, ZFPM2-AS1 weakened the inhibitory effect of miR-515-5p on TUSC3. Thus, ZFPM2-AS1 could be an underlying biomarker for thyroid cancer.

ZFPM2-AS1 facilitates cell proliferation and migration in cutaneous malignant melanoma through modulating miR-650/NOTCH1 signaling

Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) zinc finger protein, FOG family member 2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) has been identified in many tumors, but its role in cutaneous malignant melanoma remains largely obscure. Our present study was intended to unveil the role and potential mechanism of ZFPM2-AS1 in cutaneous malignant melanoma. RT-qPCR was utilized to analyze ZFPM2-AS1 expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma cells. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, flow cytometry, and transwell analyses were utilized to assess ZFPM2-AS1 function on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. Luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA-pull down assays were applied to probe the regulatory mechanism of ZFPM2-AS1 in cutaneous malignant melanoma cells. Up-regulation of ZFPM2-AS1 was discovered in cutaneous malignant melanoma cells. ZFPM2-AS1 deletion restrained cell proliferation, migration, and elevated cell apoptosis in cutaneous malignant melanoma. ZFPM2-AS1 regulated notch receptor 1 (NOTCH1) to activate the NOTCH pathway. ZFPM2-AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to affect NOTCH1 expression via sponging miR-650. Collectively, ZFPM2-AS1 exerted an oncogenic role in cutaneous malignant melanoma progression via targeting miR-650/NOTCH1 signaling. Our study might offer a novel sight for cutaneous malignant melanoma treatment.

Long Noncoding RNA ZFPM2-AS1 Knockdown Restrains the Development of Retinoblastoma by Modulating the MicroRNA-515/HOXA1/Wnt/β-Catenin Axis

Purpose

The tumor-initiating function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), zinc finger protein multitype 2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) was reported in lung cancer, yet the relevance of ZFPM2-AS1 in retinoblastoma (RB), a malignancy representing 2.5% to 4% incidence of cancers among children, has not been elucidated. Thus, we attempted to assess the effect of ZFPM2-AS1 and underlying mechanism in RB progression.

Methods

First, comparing the differentially expressed lncRNAs in normal retinal tissues as well as RB tissues, the target lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 was screened out. We then assayed the ZFPM2-AS1 expression in three RB cell lines, and carried out methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT), transwell assays, and flow cytometric analyses to examine the role of si-ZFPM2-AS1 on cell behaviors. Following online database predication, the correlations between ZFPM2-AS1 and microR-515 (miR-515) or homeobox A1 (HOXA1) were corroborated by dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. Quantitative real-time PCR along with Western blot assays was fulfilled to ascertain the expression of relevant genes.

Results

ZFPM2-AS1 was significantly overexpressed in RB tissues and cell lines, and ZFPM2-AS1 silencing curtailed the growth and metastasis of RB cells both in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatic websites and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays disclosed that ZFPM2-AS1 might perform as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-515 and positively correlate with HOXA1 to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Altogether, these data demonstrated that ZFPM2-AS1 interacted with HOXA1 to promote RB development via mediating miR-515, establishing a promising therapeutic biomarker for RB and prognosis.

Long Noncoding RNA LINC02163 Accelerates Malignant Tumor Behaviors in Breast Cancer by Regulating the MicroRNA-511-3p/HMGA2 Axis

Long intergenic nonprotein-coding RNA 02163 (LINC02163) has been reported to be upregulated and work as an oncogene in gastric cancer. The aims of the present study were to determine the expression profile and clinical value of LINC02163 in breast cancer. Additionally, the detailed functions of LINC02163 in breast cancer were explored, and relevant molecular events were elucidated. In this study, LINC02163 was upregulated in breast cancer, and its expression level was closely associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. Patients with breast cancer presenting high LINC02163 expression exhibited shorter overall survival than those presenting low LINC02163 expression. Knockdown of LINC02163 resulted in a decrease in breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and an increase in cell apoptosis in vitro. In addition, silencing of LINC02163 impeded breast cancer tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigation revealed that LINC02163 served as a competing endogenous RNA for microRNA-511-3p (miR-511-3p) and consequently upregulated the expression of the high-mobility group A2 (HMGA2), a downstream target of miR-511-3p. Intriguingly, miR-511-3p inhibition and HMGA2 restoration counteracted the effects of LINC02163 deficiency on the malignant properties of breast cancer cells. LINC02163 exerts cancer-promoting effects during the initiation and progression of breast cancer via regulation of the miR-511-3p/HMGA2 axis. Our findings add to our understanding of the roles of the LINC02163/miR-511-3p/HMGA2 pathway as a regulator of breast cancer pathogenesis and may be useful in the development of lncRNA-directed cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.

ZFPM2-AS1 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer cells involving the JAK-STAT and AKT pathways

Purpose

Recent studies have determined that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potential prognostic biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). The purpose of this study was to analyze the function and associated pathways of zinc finger protein multitype 2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) in NSCLC cells.

Methods

We used qRT-PCR to analyze ZFPM2-AS1’s transcription level. Its proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities were determined using MTT, colony forming, wound healing, and transwell assays. We additionally analyzed the correlation between ZFPM2 and immune infiltration using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database, and the protein expression levels using Western blots.

Results

We found that ZFPM2-AS1 expression in NSCLC specimens and cell lines was elevated compared to the control group. ZFPM2-AS1 is an oncogene and independent prognostic predictor of poor survival in NSCLCs, and its expression had a positive correlation with tumor size and lymph node metastasis in our clinical data. MTT, colony forming, wound healing, and transwell assays showed a positive correlation between ZFPM2-AS1 expression and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells in the presence and absence of interferon- (IFN-γ). Using the TIMER database, we hypothesized that ZFPM2 was negatively correlated with ZFPM2-AS1 expression, as well as the immune infiltration levels in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Finally, we found that ZFPM2-AS1 negatively regulated ZFPM2 expression, and had a positive correlation with PD-L1 expression through the JAK-STAT and AKT pathways.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed that ZFPM2-AS1 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells via the JAK-STAT and AKT pathways. Further research on the ZFPM2-AS1 pathway regulation mechanism is needed.

Long noncoding RNA ZFPM2-AS1 acts as a miRNA sponge and promotes cell invasion through regulation of miR-139/GDF10 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Emerging evidence has shown that dysregulated expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is implicated in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role and molecular mechanism of differentially expressed lncRNAs in HCC has not been fully explained.

Methods

The expression profiles of lncRNAs in HCC samples were derived from microarrays analysis or downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and their correlation with prognosis and clinical characteristics were further analyzed. Silencing of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 was conducted to assess the effect of ZFPM2-AS1 in vitro. The miRcode and Target Scan databases were used to determine the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions. The biological functions were demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay, western blotting, PCR and rescue experiments.

Results

The expression level of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 was significantly higher in HCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues, and higher ZFPM2-AS1 was remarkably related to poor survival. Functionally, silencing of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis based on the miRcode and TargetScan databases showed that lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 regulated GDF10 expression by competitively binding to miR-139. miR-139 and downregulated GDF10 reversed cell phenotypes caused by lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 by rescue analysis.

Conclusions

ZFPM2-AS1, an upregulated lncRNA in HCC, was associated with malignant tumor phenotypes and worse patient survival. ZFPM2-AS1 regulated the progression of HCC by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to competitively bind to miR-139 and regulate GDF10 expression. Our study provides new insight into the posttranscriptional regulation mechanism of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 and suggests that ZFPM2-AS1/miR-139/GDF10 may act as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for HCC.