Long non-coding RNA NORAD induces cell proliferation and migration in prostate cancer

Role of long non-coding RNAs and TGF-β signaling in the regulation of breast cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic targets

The cytokine known as transforming growth factor (TGF) is essential for cell development, differentiation, and apoptosis in BC. TGF-β dysregulation can either promote or inhibit tumor development, and it is a key signaling pathway in BC spread. A recently identified family of ncRNAs known as lncRNAs has received a great deal of effort and is an important regulator of many cellular processes, including transcription of genes, chromatin remodeling, progression of the cell cycle, and posttranscriptional processing. Furthermore, both TGF-β signaling and lncRNAs serve as important early-stage biomarkers for BC diagnosis and prognosis and also play a significant role in BC drug resistance. According to recent studies, lncRNAs can regulate TGF-β by modulating its cofactors in BC. However, the particular functions of lncRNAs and the TGF-β pathway in controlling BC progression are not well understood yet. This review explores the lncRNAs' functional properties in BC as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in the regulation of genes, with a focus on dysregulated TGF-β signaling. Further, we emphasize the functional roles of lncRNAs and TGF-β pathway in the progression of BC to discover new treatment strategies and better comprehend the fundamental cellular pathways.

lncRNA NORAD promotes lung cancer progression by competitively binding to miR-28-3p with E2F2

Lung cancer (LC) is a prevailing primary tumor in the lung. lncRNA non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) is a popular target in human cancers. This experiment is designed to probe the mechanism of lncRNA in LC progression. NORAD expression in normal lung epithelial cells and LC cells was examined and then silenced to assess its effect on LC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Subcellular localization of NORAD was analyzed through online databases and then corroborated by fractionation of nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA assay. The target binding relations between NORAD and miR-28-3p and between miR-28-3p and E2F2 were verified. Eventually, LC cells with NORAD silencing were transfected with miR-28-3p inhibitor or pcDNA3.1-E2F2 to measure LC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. NORAD was overexpressed in LC cells and NORAD knockout led to suppressed LC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Besides, NORAD targeted miR-28-3p and miR-28-3p targeted E2F2 transcription. Inhibiting miR-28-3p or overexpressing E2F2 could both annul the inhibitory role of si-NORAD in LC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Generally, our findings demonstrated that NORAD competitively bound to miR-28-3p with E2F2, to promote LC cell progression.

Molecular and cellular functions of long non-coding RNAs in prostate and breast cancer

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are defined as noncoding RNA transcripts with a length greater than 200 nucleotides. Research over the last decade has made great strides in our understanding of lncRNAs, especially in the biology of their role in cancer. In this article, we will briefly discuss the biogenesis and characteristics of lncRNAs, then review their molecular and cellular functions in cancer by using prostate and breast cancer as examples. LncRNAs are abundant, diverse, and evolutionarily, less conserved than protein-coding genes. They are often expressed in a tumor and cell-specific manner. As a key epigenetic factor, lncRNAs can use a wide variety of molecular mechanisms to regulate gene expression at each step of the genetic information flow pathway. LncRNAs display widespread effects on cell behavior, tumor growth, and metastasis. They act intracellularly and extracellularly in an autocrine, paracrine and endocrine fashion. Increased understanding of lncRNA's role in cancer has facilitated the development of novel biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, led to greater understanding of cancer prognosis, enabled better prediction of therapeutic responses, and promoted identification of potential targets for cancer therapy.

Crosstalk between Long Non Coding RNAs, microRNAs and DNA Damage Repair in Prostate Cancer: New Therapeutic Opportunities?

Simple Summary

Non-coding RNAs are a type of genetic material that doesn’t make protein, but performs diverse regulatory functions. In prostate cancer, most treatments target proteins, and resistance to such therapies is common, leading to disease progression. Targeting non-coding RNAs may provide alterative treatment options and potentially overcome drug resistance. Major types of non-coding RNAs include tiny ‘microRNAs’ and much longer ‘long non-coding RNAs’. Scientific studies have shown that these form a major part of the human genome, and play key roles in altering gene activity and determining the fate of cells. Importantly, in cancer, their activity is altered. Recent evidence suggests that microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs play important roles in controlling response to DNA damage. In this review, we explore how different types of non-coding RNA interact to control cell DNA damage responses, and how this knowledge may be used to design better prostate cancer treatments and tests.

Abstract

It is increasingly appreciated that transcripts derived from non-coding parts of the human genome, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), are key regulators of biological processes both in normal physiology and disease. Their dysregulation during tumourigenesis has attracted significant interest in their exploitation as novel cancer therapeutics. Prostate cancer (PCa), as one of the most diagnosed malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related death in men, continues to pose a major public health problem. In particular, survival of men with metastatic disease is very poor. Defects in DNA damage response (DDR) pathways culminate in genomic instability in PCa, which is associated with aggressive disease and poor patient outcome. Treatment options for metastatic PCa remain limited. Thus, researchers are increasingly targeting ncRNAs and DDR pathways to develop new biomarkers and therapeutics for PCa. Increasing evidence points to a widespread and biologically-relevant regulatory network of interactions between lncRNAs and miRNAs, with implications for major biological and pathological processes. This review summarises the current state of knowledge surrounding the roles of the lncRNA:miRNA interactions in PCa DDR, and their emerging potential as predictive and diagnostic biomarkers. We also discuss their therapeutic promise for the clinical management of PCa.

Long non-coding RNA NORAD induces phenotypic regulation of vascular smooth muscle cells through regulating microRNA-136-5p-targeted KDM1A

OBJECTIVE

Effect of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) on intracranial aneurysm (IA) development has been identified, while the role of noncoding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) in IA remains unexplored. We aimed to verify the impact of NORAD on IA through sponging microRNA-136-5p (miR-136-5p).

METHODS

Ruptured and unruptured IAs were harvested from IA patients, and expression of NORAD, miR-136-5p, and KDM1A was determined. The vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were cultured and, respectively, transfected with altered NORAD, miR-136-5p, or lysine-specific demethylase 1 (KDM1A) to observe their effect on biological functions, as well as on contraction and synthesis-specific indices of VSMCs. Interactions between NORAD and miR-136-5p, and between miR-136-5p and KDM1A were confirmed.

RESULTS

NORAD and KDM1A were upregulated while miR-136-5p was downregulated in IA, especially in ruptured IA. NORAD overexpression or miR-136-5p inhibition accelerated proliferation and migration, and decelerated phenotypic switching and apoptosis of VSMCs. The effects of overexpressed NORAD on VSMCs were reserved by miR-136-5p upregulation or KDM1A knockdown. NORAD functioned as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-136-5p and miR-136-5p targeted KDM1A.

CONCLUSION

NORAD suppressed miR-136-5p, thus upregulating KDM1A to participate in IA formation and rupture by inducing phenotypic regulation of VSMCs.

Silencing the lncRNA NORAD inhibits EMT of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma stem cells via miR‑26a‑5p

Cancer stem cells are closely associated with tumor metastasis or recurrence. According to previous literature reports, microRNA (miR)‑26a has an inhibitory effect on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and the long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) non‑coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) has been found to interact with miR‑26a‑5p. The present study aimed to investigate the regulation and mechanism of NORAD and miR‑26a‑5p in the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HNSCC stem cells. An ALDEFLUOR stem cell detection kit, a flow cytometer, a self‑renewal ability test and western blotting were used to sort and identify HNSCC stem cells. The ENCORI website and a dual‑luciferase assay were used to assess the relationship between genes. The mRNA and protein expression levels of NORAD, miR‑26a‑5p and EMT‑related genes were detected via reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting. Functional experiments (MTT assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay and Transwell assay) were conducted to analyze the effects of NORAD and miR‑26a‑5p on HNSCC stem cells. The successfully sorted aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)⁺ cells had a self‑renewal capacity and displayed upregulated expression levels of CD44, Oct‑4 and Nanog. NORAD knockdown, achieved using small interfering (si)RNA, downregulated the expression levels of tumor markers in ALDH⁺ cells. siNORAD inhibited cell vitality, migration and invasion, as well as promoted apoptosis, increased the expression of epithelial cell markers and decreased the expression of interstitial cell markers in HNSCC stem cells. miR‑26a‑5p was a downstream gene of NORAD, and knockdown of miR‑26a‑5p partially offset the regulatory effect of siNORAD on HNSCC stem cells. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that NORAD knockdown attenuated the migration, invasion and EMT of HNSCC stem cells via miR‑26a‑5p.

Long non-coding RNA NORAD inhibition upregulates microRNA-323a-3p to suppress tumorigenesis and development of breast cancer through the PUM1/eIF2 axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to competitively bind with microRNAs (miRNAs) to participate in human cancers. We aim to explore the role of non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) binding to miR-323a-3p in breast cancer (BC) with the involvement of pumilio RNA-binding family member 1 (PUM1)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) axis. Expression of NORAD, miR-323a-3p and PUM1 in tissues and cell lines was detected, and the correlation between NORAD expression and clinicopathological features of BC patients was analyzed. The screened cell line was respectively transfected with altered NORAD or miR-323a-3p to reveal their roles in viability, migration, invasion and apoptosis of BC cells in vitro. The tumor growth in vivo was observed in nude mice. The binding relationships among NORAD, miR-323a-3p and PUM1 were analyzed, and the regulatory role of NORAD and miR-323a-3p in the eIF2 signaling pathway was assessed. NORAD and PUM1 were upregulated and miR-323a-3p was downregulated in BC. High NORAD expression indicated a poor prognosis of BC patients. NORAD inhibition or miR-323a-3p elevation inhibited malignant behaviors of BC cells. The in vivo assay revealed that NORAD inhibition or miR-323a-3p elevation inhibited tumor growth as well. MiR-323a-3p inhibition reversed the role of NORAD knockdown in the biological functions of BC cells while silencing PUM1 reversed the influence of NORAD overexpression on BC cells. NORAD bound with miR-323a-3p and miR-323a-3p targeted PUM1. NORAD and miR-323a-3p functioned through the PUM1/eIF2 axis. NORAD inhibition or miR-323a-3p elevation suppresses the development of BC through the PUM1/eIF2 axis.

Knockdown of lncRNA NORAD inhibits the proliferation, inflammation and fibrosis of human mesangial cells under high-glucose conditions by regulating the miR-485/NRF1 axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve major roles in diabetic nephropathy (DN). The present study investigated the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) on DN in vitro. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of lncRNA NORAD, microRNA-485 (miR-485) and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) in the tissues of patients with DN and high-glucose (HG)-induced human mesangial cells (HMCs). The viability of HMCs was determined using an MTT assay. The levels of inflammatory [tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6] and fibrotic [type IV collagen (Col. IV), fibronectin (FN) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1)] factors in HMCs were measured by ELISA. The interactions between miR-485 and NORAD/NRF1 were predicted using StarBase and miRDB softwares and confirmed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Western blot analysis was utilized to measure NRF1 protein levels. lncRNA NORAD was highly expressed in tissues and HG-induced HMCs. NORAD knockdown suppressed cell viability in HG-induced HMCs. The levels of the inflammatory and fibrotic factors in HG-induced HMCs were inhibited by NORAD knockdown. miR-485 was the direct target of NORAD. NORAD reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-485 on HG-induced HMCs. Furthermore, NRF1 was the target gene of miR-485. Downregulation of miR-485 and upregulation of NRF1 reversed the inhibitory effects of NORAD knockdown on HG-induced HMCs. NORAD knockdown inhibited HG-induced HMC proliferation, inflammation and fibrosis by regulating miR-485/NRF1, providing a possible therapeutic strategy for DN.

LncRNA NORAD engages in psoriasis by binding to miR-26a to regulate keratinocyte proliferation

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease. It was reported that lncRNA Non-coding RNA-activated by DNA damage (NORAD) has potential regulatory effects on skin diseases. Our previous studies found that lncRNA NORAD was highly expressed and its potential target miR-26a was down-regulated in psoriasis model mice. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of NORAD in the development of psoriasis.

METHODS

IL-22/LPS (interleukin-22/lipopolysaccharide)-stimulated HaCaT (human immortalized keratinocytes) cell model and imiquimod-induced mouse model were established. Keratin 6 (K6), Keratin 16 (K16), Keratin 17 (K17), and Cell division cycle 6 (CDC6) levels were detected by western blot. Cell activity was detected by CCK-8, MTT, and EdU assays. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to examine the levels of NORAD, miR-26a, CDC6, K6, K16, and K17. Haematoxylin-eosin staining was applied to observe the degree of skin thickening and hyperplasia. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detects the location of NORAD. RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down, and Luciferase test were performed to detect the interaction between NORAD and miR-26a.

RESULTS

In IL-22/LPS-stimulated HaCaT cells, NORAD, CDC6, and keratinocyte proliferation-related proteins (K6, K16, and K17) were up-regulated and miR-26a was down-regulated. Cell survival and proliferation were also increased. However, the results were reversed after interference with NORAD. Also, in vitro experiments revealed that NORAD negatively regulated miR-26a. In IL-22/LPS-stimulated HaCaT cells and skin of imiquimod-induced mice, we found that lower NORAD resulted in an increase of miR-26a and a decrease of CDC6, further decreased levels of keratinocyte proliferation-related proteins (K6, K16, and K17).

Long non-coding RNA NORAD promotes the prostate cancer cell extracellular vesicle release via microRNA-541-3p-regulated PKM2 to induce bone metastasis of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Bone metastasis is the leading cause of mortality and reduced quality of life in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). Long non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) has been observed to have an abnormal expression in various cancers. This article aimed to explore the molecular mechanism underlying the regulatory role of NORAD in bone metastasis of PCa.

METHODS

NORAD expression in clinical PCa tissues and cell lines was detected with the application of qRT-PCR. Cancer cells were then transfected with plasmids expressing NORAD, after which Transwell assay and CCK-8 assay were carried out to detect proliferation, migration, and bone metastasis of PCa. NORAD downstream target molecules were screened through bioinformatics analysis, followed by further verification using dual luciferase assay. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were labeled with PKH67 and interacted with bone marrow stromal cells. The gain- and loss-function method was applied to determine the internalization and secretion of PCa cells-derived EVs under the intervention of downstream target molecules or NORAD.

RESULTS

PCa tissues and cell lines were observed to have a high expression of NORAD, particularly in tissues with bone metastasis. NORAD knockdown resulted in reduced secretion and internalization of EVs, and suppressed proliferation, migration, and bone metastasis of PCa cells. It was indicated that NORAD interacted with miR-541-3p, leading to the upregulation of PKM2. Forced expression of PKM2 promoted the transfer of PKH67-labeled EVs to bone marrow stromal cells.

CONCLUSIONS

NORAD might serve as a ceRNA of miR-541-3p to promote PKM2 expression, thereby enhancing the development of bone metastasis in PCa by promoting internalization and transfer of EVs of cancer cells, providing an insight into a novel treatment for the disorder.

NORAD regulates epithelial‑mesenchymal transition of non‑small cell lung cancer cells via miR‑422a

The poor prognosis of non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is related to epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). Recent studies demonstrated that non‑coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) displays a carcinogenic effect and targets microRNA (miR)‑422a, which may be involved in tumor cell migration and invasion. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of NORAD on NSCLC cell EMT and the underlying mechanism. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to detect the expression levels of long non‑coding RNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs. Cell viability, migration and invasion were detected by conducting Cell Counting Kit‑8, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The target of NORAD was predicted using starBase and further confirmed by conducting a dual‑luciferase reporter assay. The results indicated that NORAD expression was significantly increased in lung cancer tissues and cells compared with adjacent healthy tissues and cells. Compared with the control groups, NORAD overexpression promoted SK‑MES‑1 cell viability, migration and invasion, whereas NORAD knockdown resulted in the opposite effects in A549 cells. Moreover, miR‑422a, which was predicted to be a target of NORAD, displayed lower expression levels in lung cancer tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues. In addition, miR‑422a overexpression partially reversed NORAD overexpression‑induced increases in SK‑MES‑1 cell viability, migration, invasion and EMT. In addition, miR‑422a knockdown partially reversed the effects of NORAD knockdown. The present study suggested that NORAD regulated lung cancer cell EMT by regulating the expression of miR‑422a, providing a potential therapeutic target for the intervention of the development of NSCLC.

Long non-coding RNA NORAD contributes to the proliferation, invasion and EMT progression of prostate cancer via the miR-30a-5p/RAB11A/WNT/β-catenin pathway

Background

Prostate cancer (PC) is common male cancer with high mortality worldwide. Emerging evidence demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in various type of cancers including PC by serving as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to modulate microRNAs (miRNAs). LncRNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) was found to be upregulated in PC cells, while the detailed function and regulatory mechanism of NORAD in PC progression remains largely unclear.

Methods

Expression of NORAD in PC tissues and cell lines were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). NORAD was respectively overexpressed and knocked down by transfection with pcDNA-NORAD and NORAD siRNA into PC-3 and LNCap cells. Cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis were determined by using CCK-8, Transwell and Flow cytometry assays, respectively. The target correlations between miR-30-5p and NORAD or RAB11A were confirmed by using dual luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, expression levels of RAB11A, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker proteins and the Wnt pathway related proteins were measured by Western blotting. Tumor xenograft assay was used to study the effect of NORAD on tumor growth in vivo.

Results

NORAD was upregulated in PC tissues and cells. Overexpression of NORAD promoted cell proliferation, invasion, EMT, and inhibited cell apoptosis; while knockdown of NORAD had the opposite effect. NORAD was found to be functioned as a ceRNA to bind and downregulated miR-30a-5p that was downregulated in PC tumor tissues. Rescue experiments revealed that miR-30a-5p could weaken the NORAD-mediated promoting effects on cell proliferation, invasion and EMT. Furthermore, RAB11A that belongs to a member of RAS oncogene family was verified as a target of miR-30a-5p, and reintroduction of RAB11A attenuated the effects of miR-30a-5p overexpression on cell proliferation, invasion, EMT and apoptosis of PC cells. More importantly, silencing RAB11A partially reversed the promoting effects of NORAD overexpression on cell proliferation, invasion and EMT of PC cells via the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Lastly, tumorigenicity assay in vivo demonstrated that NORAD increased tumor volume and weight via miR-30a-5p /RAB11A pathway.

Conclusion

Our results indicated a significant role of NORAD in mechanisms associated with PC progression. NORAD promoted cell proliferation, invasion and EMT via the miR-30a-5p/RAB11A/WNT/β-catenin pathway, thus inducing PC tumor growth.

NORAD, a critical long non-coding RNA in human cancers

The ^incidence of cancer is growing worldwide, and it is becoming the most common cause of death. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of RNA transcripts with a length larger than 200 nucleotides that cannot encode proteins or peptides. LncRNAs regulate different biological functions by controlling gene expressions at transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. Non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) is a highly conserved lncRNA necessary for genome stability. LncRNA NORAD is dysregulated in various types of cancers. This biomarker has been involved in numerous processes associated with carcinogeneses, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. In this paper, we reviewed the role of lncRNA NORAD and its biological functions in various human cancers to provide future research insights.

Silencing of Long Non-Coding RNA (LncRNA) Non-Coding RNA Activated by DNA Damage (NORAD) Inhibits Proliferation, Invasion, Migration, and Promotes Apoptosis of Glioma Cells via Downregulating the Expression of AKR1B1

Background

We aimed to investigate the functions of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) in glioma and identify the potential mechanisms.

Material/Methods

The expression of NORAD and AKR1B1 in human glioma cell lines were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Then, cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were tested by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay, Transwell, and scratch wound healing assay after NORAD silencing. Meanwhile, western blotting was utilized to measure the expression of migration-related proteins. Apoptosis of glioma cells was detected using flow cytometry and apoptosis-related proteins expression was determined. Moreover, the correlation between NORAD and AKR1B1 was verified by RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP assay). After co-transfection with AKR1B1 overexpressed plasmid and NORAD siRNA, cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were examined again. Furthermore, the expression of proteins in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling was tested using western blotting.

Results

The results revealed that NORAD and AKR1B1 were highly expressed in glioma cells. NORAD silencing inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration but promoted apoptosis of glioma cells, accompanied by the expression changes of migration- and apoptosis-related proteins. However, after co-transfection with AKR1B1 pcDNA3.1 in NORAD silencing cells, the effects of NORAD silencing on proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were attenuated. Consistently, the expression of phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) was decreased after NORAD silencing, which were reversed following AKR1B1 overexpression.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrated that NORAD silencing suppressed proliferation, invasion, and migration and boosted apoptosis of glioma cells via downregulating the AKR1B1 expression, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Long non-coding RNA NORAD exhaustion represses prostate cancer progression through inhibiting TRIP13 expression via competitively binding to miR-495-3p

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a malignant heterogeneous tumor that threatens men's health. Long non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) and microRNA-495-3p (miR-495-3p) have been revealed to be concerned with the tumorigenesis and progression of diverse cancers. Nevertheless, the regulatory mechanism between NORAD and miR-495-3p in PCa is unclear.

Methods

The expression of NORAD, miR-495-3p, and thyroid hormone receptor interactor 13 (TRIP13) mRNA was detected with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Cleaved-casp-3, TRIP13, cyclin D1, and PCNA were detected through western blot analysis. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of PCa cells were assessed through 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, or transwell assays. The relationship between NORAD or TRIP13 and miR-495-3p was confirmed via dual-luciferase reporter, RIP, or RNA pull-down assays.

Results

NORAD and TRIP13 were upregulated while miR-495-3p was downregulated in PCa tissues and cells. Both NORAD silencing and miR-495-3p upregulation accelerated cell apoptosis and curbed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PCa cells. Also, NORAD silencing repressed tumor growth in vivo. Notably, NORAD modulated TRIP13 expression by competitively binding to miR-495-3p. Furthermore, miR-495-3p repression reversed NORAD knockdown-mediated effects on the malignant behaviors of PCa cells. Moreover, TRIP13 enhancement overturned the effects of miR-495-3p overexpression on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of PCa cells.

Conclusion

NORAD depletion inhibited PCa advancement via the miR-495-3p/ TRIP13 axis, which provided a potential tactic for PCa treatment.

Development and functional characterization of a lncRNA-HIT conditional loss of function allele

Analysis of the human and murine transcriptomes has identified long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as major functional components in both species. Transcriptional profiling of the murine limb led to our discovery of lncRNA-HIT, which our previous in vitro analyses suggested a potential role for this lncRNA in the development of limb, craniofacial, and genitourinary tissues (Carlson et al., 2015). To test this hypothesis, we developed a conditional lncRNA-HIT loss of function allele which uses Cre recombinase to activate an shRNA specific for lncRNA-HIT. Activation of the lncRNA-HIT shRNA allele resulted in a robust knock-down of lncRNA-HIT as well as co-activation of a mCherry reporter, confirming the efficacy of the shRNA allele to reduce endogenous lncRNA levels in a tissue- and cell-type specific manner. Developmental analyses of embryos expressing the activated shRNA and mCherry co-reporter revealed multiple malformations corresponding to the sites of shRNA activation, affecting craniofacial, limb, and genitourinary tissue development. These results confirm the efficacy of lncRNA-HIT shRNA allele to knock-down endogenous transcripts in tissue- and cell type specific manner and indicate a requirement for lncRNA-HIT in the development of these tissues.