Long noncoding RNA MAFG-AS1 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through downregulation of miR-6852

Carcinogenic roles of MAFG-AS1 in human cancers

The MAF bZIP transcription factor G-antisense RNA 1 (MAFG-AS1) is located on chromosome 17. MAFG-AS1 was upregulated in 15 human cancers. MAFG-AS1 not only suppresses 16 miRNAs but also directly impacts 22 protein-coding genes' expression. Notably, abnormal MAFG-AS1 expression is connected to clinicopathological characteristics and a worse prognosis in a variety of cancers. Moreover, MAFG-AS1 takes its part in the tumorigenesis and progression of various human malignancies by suppressing apoptosis and promoting proliferation, migration, invasion, aerobic glycolysis, ferroptosis, angiogenesis, EMT, and metastasis. Besides, it can predict treatment effectiveness in ER + breast cancer, urothelial bladder carcinoma, and liver cancer by functioning as a trigger of resistance to tamoxifen, sorafenib, and cisplatin. This study systematically presents the functions of MAFG-AS1 in various cancers, as well as the findings of bioinformatics analyses of the MAFG-AS1, which should give clear advice for future research.

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 is involved in human cancer progression

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to a type of non-protein-coding transcript of more than 200 nucleotides. LncRNAs play fundamental roles in disease development and progression, and lncRNAs are dysregulated in many pathophysiological processes. Thus, lncRNAs may have potential value in clinical applications. The lncRNA, MAF BZIP Transcription Factor G (MAFG)-AS1, is dysregulated in several cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, esophagus cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and glioma. Altered MAFG-AS1 levels are also associated with diverse clinical characteristics and patient outcomes. Mechanistically, MAFG-AS1 mediates a variety of cellular processes via the regulation of target gene expression. Therefore, the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic aspects of MAFG-AS1 have been widely explored. In this review, we discuss the expression, major roles, and molecular mechanisms of MAFG-AS1, the relationship between MAFG-AS1 and clinical features of diseases, and the clinical applications of MAFG-AS1.

Identification of necroptosis-related long non-coding RNAs prognostic signature and the crucial lncRNA in bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Research on the relationships between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and cancer is attractive and has progressed very rapidly. Necroptosis-related biomarkers can potentially be used for predicting the prognosis of cancer patients. This study aimed to establish a necroptosis-related lncRNA (NPlncRNA) signature to predict the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer (BCa).

METHODS

First, NPlncRNAs were identified using Pearson correlation analysis and machine learning algorithms, including SVM-RFE, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and random forest. The prognostic NPlncRNA signature was constructed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and the diagnostic efficacy and clinically predictive efficiency were evaluated and validated. The biological functions of the signature were analysed using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and functional enrichment analysis. We further integrated the RNA-seq dataset (GSE133624) with our outcomes to reveal the crucial NPlncRNA that was functionally verified by assessing cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis in BCa cells.

RESULTS

The prognostic NPlncRNAs signature was composed of PTOV1-AS2, AC083862.2, MAFG-DT, AC074117.1, AL049840.3, and AC078778.1, and a risk score based on this signature was proven to be an independent prognostic factor for the BCa patients, indicated by poor overall survival (OS) of patients in the high-risk group. Additionally, the NPlncRNAs signature had a higher diagnostic validity than that of other clinicopathological variables, with a greater area under the receptor operating characteristic and concordance index curves. A nomogram established by integrating clinical variables and risk score confirmed that the signature can accurately predict the OS of patients and has high clinical practicability. Functional enrichment analysis and GSEA revealed that some cancer-related and necroptosis-related pathways were enriched in high-risk groups. The crucial NPlncRNA MAFG-DT was associated with poor prognosis and was highly expressed in BCa cells. MAFG-DT silencing notably inhibited proliferation and enhanced apoptosis of BCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel prognostic NPlncRNAs signature was identified in BCa in this study, which provides potential therapeutic targets among which MAFG-DT plays critical roles in the tumorigenesis of BCa.

Construction and Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognostic Model Based on Random Forest

Methods

Transcriptome data and clinical data of HCC were downloaded from the TCGA database. Screen important genes based on the random forest method, combined with differential expression genes (DEGs) to screen out important DEGs. The Kaplan‒Meier curve was used to evaluate its prognostic significance. Cox regression analysis was used to construct a survival prognosis prediction model, and the ROC curve was used to verify it. Finally, the mechanism of action was explored through GO and KEGG pathway enrichment and GeneMANIA coexpression analyses.

Results

Seven important DEGs were identified, three were highly expressed and four were lowly expressed. Among them, GPRIN1, MYBL2, and GSTM5 were closely related to prognosis (P < 0.05). After the survival prognosis prediction model was established, the survival analysis showed that the survival time of the high-risk group was significantly shortened (P < 0.001), but the ROC analysis indicated that the model was not superior to staging. Twenty coexpressed genes were screened, and enrichment analysis indicated that glutathione metabolism was an important mechanism for these genes to regulate HCC progression.

Conclusion

This study revealed the important DEGs affecting HCC progression and provided references for clinical assessment of patient prognosis and exploration of HCC progression mechanisms through the construction of predictive models and gene enrichment analysis.

Long Non-Coding RNA MAFG-AS1 as a Potential Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Linkage with Tumor Features, Markers, Liver Functions, and Survival Profile

Purpose

Long non-coding RNAs musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene family, protein G antisense 1 (lnc-MAFG-AS1) regulates hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and treatment resistance in multiple ways, while its engagement in HCC clinical management remains obscure. The current study aims to explore the relationship of lnc-MAFG-AS1 with tumor features, liver function indexes, tumor markers, and prognosis in HCC patients.

Methods

One hundred and fifty-two surgical HCC patients who underwent tumor resection were retrospectively analyzed. Their tumor and adjacent tissues were acquired and then proposed to reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect lnc-MAFG-AS1 expression.

Results

Lnc-MAFG-AS1 expression was increased in HCC tumor tissue than in adjacent tissue [median (interquartile range): 2.730 (1.685–4.198) vs. 0.990 (0.703–1.468), p < 0.001], with a high area under the curve [0.889, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.854–0.924] to distinguish them via receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Tumor lnc-MAFG-AS1 was linked with multifocal nodules (p < 0.001), increased Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (p = 0.018), and elevated China Liver Cancer (CNLC) stage (p = 0.008), which also correlated with an abnormal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (p = 0.004), However, lnc-MAFG-AS1 was not linked with other disease conditions, tumor properties, liver function indexes, or tumor markers (all ps > 0.05). In addition, patients with a high expression of lnc-MAFG-AS1 exhibited worse overall survival than those with a low expression of lnc-MAFG-AS1 [median (95% CI): 34.0 (24.5–43.5) vs. 48.0 (41.5–54.5) months] (p = 0.011), which was further validated by univariate Cox’s analysis [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.827, p = 0.013] and multivariate Cox’s analysis (HR = 1.697, p = 0.040).

Conclusion

Lnc-MAFG-AS1 relates to multifocal nodules, increased BCLC stage, elevated CNLC stage, and abnormal AFP level and predicts pejorative prognosis in HCC patients.

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 promotes the malignant phenotype of ovarian cancer by upregulating NFKB1-dependent IGF1

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were recently recognized to vitally function in a variety of cancer cellular events, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and migration, particularly in ovarian cancer (OC). Herein, we sought to investigate the potential role of MAFG-AS1 in the malignant behaviors of OC cells. The binding affinity between MAFG-AS1, miR-339-5p, NFKB1 or IGF1 was characterized so as to identify the underlying mechanism of corresponding their interactions. We conducted MAFG-AS1 overexpression or knockdown along with NFKB1 and IGF1 silencing to examine their effects on the EMT, migration, and invasion of OC cells. Tumors were xenografted in nude mice to validate the in vitro findings. Our data showed significantly high expression pattern of MAFG-AS1 in the OC tissues and cells. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that MAFG-AS1 upregulated the IGF1 expression pattern through recruitment of NFKB1, whereas MAFG-AS1 upregulated the NFKB1 expression pattern through binding to miR-339-5p. Thus, MAFG-AS1 overexpression accelerated the EMT, invasion, and migration of OC cells, which could be annulled by silencing of IGF1 or NFKB1. Besides, our in vitro findings were successfully recapitulated in the xenograft mice. These results determined that MAFG-AS1 stimulated the OC malignant progression by upregulating the NFKB1-mediated IGF1 via miR-339-5p, thus highlighting a novel potential therapeutic target against OC.

Integrating the Epigenome and Transcriptome of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Identify Systematic Enhancer Aberrations and Establish an Aberrant Enhancer-Related Prognostic Signature

Recently, emerging evidence has indicated that aberrant enhancers, especially super-enhancers, play pivotal roles in the transcriptional reprogramming of multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we performed integrative analyses of ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data to identify intergenic differentially expressed enhancers (DEEs) and genic differentially methylated enhancers (DMEs), along with their associated differentially expressed genes (DEE/DME-DEGs), both of which were also identified in independent cohorts and further confirmed by HiC data. Functional enrichment and prognostic model construction were conducted to explore the functions and clinical significance of the identified enhancer aberrations. We identified a total of 2,051 aberrant enhancer-associated DEGs (AE-DEGs), which were highly concurrent in multiple HCC datasets. The enrichment results indicated the significant overrepresentations of crucial biological processes and pathways implicated in cancer among these AE-DEGs. A six AE-DEG-based prognostic signature, whose ability to predict the overall survival of HCC was superior to that of both clinical phenotypes and previously published similar prognostic signatures, was established and validated in TCGA-LIHC and ICGC-LIRI cohorts, respectively. In summary, our integrative analysis depicted a landscape of aberrant enhancers and associated transcriptional dysregulation in HCC and established an aberrant enhancer-derived prognostic signature with excellent predictive accuracy, which might be beneficial for the future development of epigenetic therapy for HCC.

Construction of a ceRNA network and a genomic-clinicopathologic nomogram to predict survival for HBV-related HCC

Some lncRNA-associated competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) are considered as potential biomarkers for targeted therapies and prognosis in human cancer. In our present study, we aimed to construct a ceRNA network and establish a genomic-clinicopathologic nomogram to provide insights into the molecular mechanisms and predict survival for HBV-related HCC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was applied to collect the data of LIHC RNA-seq dataset and miRNA-seq dataset as well as the clinicopathological information. Identification of differentially expressed RNAs (mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs) between HBV-related HCC samples and normal samples was conducted using Limma package in R. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for performing the functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs. The ceRNA network was carried out using Cytoscape. The LASSO-penalized Cox regression analysis was implemented to identify HCC-related lncRNAs, and the multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted for the establishment of a genomic-clinicopathology nomogram. A total of 1859 DEmRNAs, 113 DElncRNAs, and 89 DEmiRNAs were screened out etween HBV-related HCC samples and normal samples. A ceRNA network including 44 DEmRNAs, 7 DElncRNAs, and 20 DEmiRNAs was constructed. 7 DElncRNAs (PVT1, LINC01138, LINC02499, AL355488.2, FGF14-AS2, MAFG-AS1 and LINC00261) were finally identified as prognostic indicators. The area under the curve reached 0.8169 for the 7-lncRNA signature. The predictive accuracy and clinical application value were remarkably high for the genomic-clinicopathologic nomogram integrating the histological grade and the 7-gene-based prognostic index. Taken together, we have established a ceRNA network with HBV-related HCC-specific DElncRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DEmRNAs. Furthermore, the genome-wide data of lncRNA expression were analyzed using the TCGA database, and a 7-lncRNA signature was identified as a potential prognostic predictor for HBV-related HCC patients. Novel functional studies were provided by our current findings for elucidating the molecular mechanism of lncRNA in HBV-related HCC.

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 regulates miR-125b-5p/SphK1 axis to promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer cells

MAFG-AS1 is an oncogenic lncRNA in multiple types of cancer. However, its role in bladder cancer (BC) remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the function of MAFG-AS1 in BC. BC and paired non-tumor tissues were collected. Two BC cell lines HT01197 and HT-1376 were used. Dual luciferase activity assay, RT-qPCR, western blot, CCK-8, transwell invasion assay, and wound healing assay were performed. We found that MAFG-AS1 was significantly up-regulated in BC tissues and predicted a poor survival rate. MAFG-AS1 interacted with miR-125b-5p. However, the expression levels of MAFG‑AS1 and miR-125b-5p were not obviously correlated in BC tissues, and MAFG‑AS1 and miR-125b-5p did not regulate the expression of each other. Interestingly, we found that SphK1, a downstream target of miR-125b-5p, was negatively correlated with miR-125b-5p, while it was positively correlated with MAFG-AS1 across BC tissues. In addition, overexpression of MAFG‑AS1 upregulated the expression of SphK1 in BC cells, and attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-125b-5p on the expression of SphK1. Functional assays showed that overexpression of MAFG‑AS1 promoted BC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while its effects were attenuated by overexpression of miR-125b-5p. Moreover, overexpression of miR-125b-5p inhibited BC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while its effects were alleviated by overexpression of SphK1. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that MAFG-AS1 has an oncogenic role in BC by regulating the miR-125b-5p/SphK1 axis. MAFG-AS1 might serve as a good diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target of BC.

MAFG-AS1 aggravates the progression of pancreatic cancer by sponging miR-3196 to boost NFIX

BACKGROUND

A host of researches have demonstrated the regulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the progression of pancreatic cancers (PC). In this study, our main task was to analyze the function of MAF bZIP transcription factor G antisense RNA 1 (MAFG-AS1) in PC.

METHODS

RT-qPCR measured gene expression. Functional experiments, including EdU assay, flow cytometry analysis, TUNEL assay and transwell assay, assessed the biological changes of PC cells. RNA pull down assay, luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay verified the interaction between RNAs.

RESULTS

MAFG-AS1 was lowly expressed in normal pancreatic samples but up-regulated in PC tissues and cell lines. Besides, MAFG-AS1 silence suppressed cell proliferation and migration whereas promoted cell apoptosis in PC. Mechanism assays verified that miR-3196 could bind with MAFG-AS1. Moreover, miR-3196 was discovered to be lowly expressed in PC cell lines, and its overexpression inhibited PC cell growth and migration. Importantly, nuclear factor I X (NFIX), overexpressed in PC cell lines, was validated to be positively modulated by MAFG-AS1 through absorbing miR-3196. Moreover, overexpression of NFIX could countervail the restraining effects of MAFG-AS1 knockdown on the growth and migration of PC cells.

CONCLUSION

MAFG-AS1 had an oncogenic function in the progression of PC via regulating miR-3196/NFIX pathway, and decreasing MAFG-AS1 expression could attenuate PC progression.

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 Promotes the Progression of Bladder Cancer by Targeting the miR-143-3p/COX-2 Axis

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potential biomarkers that are very important for the development of cancer. Studies show that lncRNAs are significantly correlated with the carcinogenesis and progression of bladder cancer (BLCA). In this research, we aimed at probing into the role of lncRNA MAFG-AS1 in the tumorigenesis of BLCA. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> RT-qPCR was employed to detect MAFG-AS1 expression in BLCA tissues and cells. MAFG-AS1 siRNA and overexpression plasmid were transfected into 5637 and T24 BLCA cell lines to inhibit or upregulate MAFG-AS1 expression, respectively, and then the regulatory functions of MAFG-AS1 on BLCA cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, EdU method, and Transwell experiments, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation were conducted to validate the targeting relationships between MAFG-AS1 and miR-143-3p, and miR-143-3p and COX-2. In addition, miR-143-3p was repressed in MAFG-AS1-silenced 5637 and T24 cell lines, and the function of MAFG-AS1/miR-143-3p axis in BLCA cells was further evaluated. The regulatory effects of MAFG-AS1 and miR-143-3p on the expression of COX-2 protein were detected by Western blot. <b><i>Results:</i></b> MAFG-AS1 was remarkably upregulated in BLCA patient tissues and cell lines, and its high expression was closely related to histological grade, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis. Silencing of MAFG-AS1 inhibited BLCA cell proliferation, metastasis, and invasion, while overexpression of MAFG-AS1 in BLCA cells had opposite biological effects. MAFG-AS1 was proved to target miR-143-3p to repress its expression. Moreover, it was confirmed that MAFG-AS1 and miR-143-3p could modulate COX-2 expression. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The MAFG-AS1/miR-143-3p/COX-2 axis contributes to BLCA progression.

Long noncoding RNA MAFG-AS1 facilitates bladder cancer tumorigenesis via regulation of miR-143-3p/SERPINE1 axis

Background

Numerous studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as key regulators of bladder cancer progression. While lncRNA MAFG-AS1 has been confirmed as an oncogenic molecule in various cancers and tumorigenesis, in present study, we investigated its function and role in the tumorigenesis of bladder cancer.

Methods

The expression of MAFG-AS1, miR-143-3p and SERPINE1 in bladder cancer tissues was detected by qRT-PCR methods. The relationship between MAFG-AS1 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics of bladder cancer was analyzed. The effects of MAFG-AS1 depletion on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were investigated. The binding relationship of MAFG-AS1, miR-143-3p and SERPINE1 was examined by luciferase reporter analysis and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay.

Results

MAFG-AS1 was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. High MAFG-AS1 expression was associated with bladder cancer histological grade, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis, and patients with high expression showed poor overall survival. Cell function experiments showed that MAFG-AS1 silencing markedly suppressed bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and increased cell apoptosis. Moreover, our results demonstrated that MAFG-AS1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-143-3p to modulate SERPINE1 levels. Further analysis showed that miR-143-3p inhibition or SERPINE1 overexpression alleviated the suppressive effects of MAFG-AS1 silencing on malignant features.

Conclusions

Our findings indicated that MAFG-AS1 facilitates tumorigenesis via regulation of the miR-143-3p/SERPINE1 axis and also provides a novel insight into tumorigenesis and identify a promising therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

Cross-talk between the ER pathway and the lncRNA MAFG-AS1/miR-339-5p/ CDK2 axis promotes progression of ER+ breast cancer and confers tamoxifen resistance

Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer accounts for around 75% of breast cancers. The estrogen receptor pathway promotes tumor progression and endocrine resistance. Recently, the cross-talk between the ER signaling pathway and cell cycle regulation has been identified. It is necessary to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the ER signaling pathway and find new target genes for prognosis and drug resistance in ER+ breast cancer. In this study, lncRNA MAFG-AS1 was shown to be up-regulated and associated with poor prognosis in ER+ breast cancer. Functionally, down-regulation of MAFG-AS1 could inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis. In addition, MAFG-AS1 which contained an estrogen-responsive element could promote CDK2 expression by sponging miR-339-5p. Subsequently, MAFG-AS1 and CDK2 were found to be up-regulated in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells. Cross-talk between the ER signaling pathway and cell cycle conducted by MAFG-AS1 and CDK2 could promote tamoxifen resistance. In conclusion, our study indicated that estrogen-responsive lncRNA MAFG-AS1 up-regulated CDK2 by sponging miR-339-5p, which promoted ER+ breast cancer proliferation. Cross-talk between the ER signaling pathway and cell cycle suggested that lncRNA MAFG-AS1 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in ER+ breast cancer. CDK2 inhibitors may be applied to endocrine resistance therapy.

Downregulation of long non-coding RNA MAFG-AS1 represses tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer cells through the microRNA-149-3p-dependent inhibition of HOXB8

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered as the second common death-induced cancer. More recently, association of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with CRC has been extensively investigated. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine whether lncRNA MAF BZIP Transcription Factor G Antisense RNA 1 (MAFG-AS1) could regulate biological activities of CRC cells and unravel the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

CRC and corresponding adjacent tissues were collected to determine the expression of lncRNA MAFG-AS1, microRNA-149-3p (miR-149-3p) and homeobox B8 (HOXB8) by RT-qPCR. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to explore the targeting relationship between miR-149-3p and lncRNA MAFG-AS1 and between miR-149-3p and HOXB8, followed by RNA immunoprecipitation for verification. Migration, proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of HCT116 and LoVo cells were examined when lncRNA MAFG-AS1 was silenced or miR-149-3p was overexpressed. Furthermore, tumorigenicity of HCT116 and LoVo cells was measured in vivo by tumor xenograft in nude mice.

Results

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 and HOXB8 were found to be highly expressed in CRC tissues and cells, while miR-149-3p was under-expressed. LncRNA MAFG-AS1 negatively regulated miR-149-3p while miR-149-3p downregulated HOXB8. In addition, lncRNA MAFG-AS1 silencing by shRNA or miR-149-3p upregulation by mimic suppressed the migration, proliferation, invasion and tumorigenesis but promoted the apoptosis of HCT116 and LoVo cells.

Conclusion

Taken together, lncRNA MAFG-AS1 downregulation inhibits the malignant behaviors of CRC cells by upregulating miR-149-3p and downregulating HOXB8, providing a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.

Long non-coding RNA MAFG-AS1 knockdown blocks malignant progression in breast cancer cells by inactivating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway via MAFG-AS1/miR-3196/TFAP2A axis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is still a leading threat to women's lives. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) associated with cancer progression are getting attention. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of lncRNA MAFG-antisense 1 (MAFG-AS1) and mechanisms of action in breast cancer.

METHODS

The expression of MAFG-AS1, microRNA-3196 (miR-3196) and transcription factor AP-2 alpha (TFAP2A) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The cell proliferation was assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The number of colonies was observed through colony formation assay. The protein levels of Cyclin D1, Ki67, Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma2 (Bcl-2), Hexokinase II (HK2), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), TFAP2A, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), phosphorylated-JAK2 (p-JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and phosphorylated-STAT3 were quantified by western blot. The cell apoptosis was monitored using flow cytometry. The glycolysis progression was evaluated according to glucose consumption and lactate production. The relationship between miR-3196 and MAFG-AS1 or TFAP2A was predicted by the online tool starBase and verified by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. The role of MAFG-AS1 in vivo was determined by the tumor formation assay in nude mice.

RESULTS

MAFG-AS1 was highly expressed in tumor tissues and cells. MAFG-AS1 knockdown restrained proliferation, colony formation, and glycolysis but promoted apoptosis of breast cancer cells. MiR-3196 was a target of MAFG-AS1, and its inhibition reversed the role of MAFG-AS1 knockdown. TFAP2A was a target of miR-3196, and its overexpression abolished the effects of miR-3196 reintroduction. MAFG-AS1 knockdown suppressed the activity of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Moreover, MAFG-AS1 knockdown reduced tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

MAFG-AS1 knockdown attenuated breast cancer progression in vitro and in vivo through activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway by the MAFG-AS1/miR-3196/TFAP2A regulatory axis.

LncRNA ANCR Suppresses the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through the Inhibition of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

Objective

Our study aimed to investigate the effect of anti-differentiation noncoding RNA (ANCR) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its potential molecular mechanisms.

Methods

The expression of ANCR was detected by qRT-RCR in both HCC tissues and HCC cells. Moreover, the relationship between ANCR expression and clinical parameters in HCC patients was investigated. The proliferation, cell clones, migration, invasion and apoptosis of MHCC97H and HCCLM3 cells were measured by MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The expressions of N-cadherin, vimentin, E-cadherin, cleaved caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, Wnt1, β-catenin and GSK-3β in MHCC97H and HCCLM3 cells were measured by Western blot.

Results

Our results showed that ANCR was lowly expressed in both HCC tissues and HCC cells. ANCR expression was closely associated with tumor size, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages and vascular invasion in HCC. ANCR could dramatically inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as promote apoptosis in MHCC97H and HCCLM3 cells. ANCR could significantly increase the expression of cleaved caspase-3, Bax, E-cadherin and GSK-3β but reduce the expression of Bcl-2, N-cadherin, vimentin, Wnt1 and β-catenin in MHCC97H and HCCLM3 cells. In addition, Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor (IWP-2) partially reversed the effects of silencing ANCR on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of HCCLM3 cells.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that ANCR can suppress cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as promote apoptosis of HCC cells via modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

LncRNA MAFG-AS1 Accelerates Cell Migration, Invasion and Aerobic Glycolysis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells via miR-765/PDX1 Axis

Background

LncRNA dysregulation is implicated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression; However, the precise role and function of lncRNA MAFG-AS1 in ESCC remains unknown.

Materials and Methods

Expressions of MAFG-AS1, miR-765, PDX1, GLUT1 and LDH-A were detected via qRT-PCR or/and Western blot in ESCC tissues and cell lines. CCK-8, transwell and glycolysis assays were used to investigate the effects of MAFG-AS1 on ESCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and aerobic glycolysis after knockdown or overexpression of MAFG-AS1, and bioinformatics analyses, RNA pull-down and dual luciferase reporter systems were applied to investigate the interaction between MAFG-AS1, miR-765 and PDX1.

Results

MAFG-AS1 was significantly up-modulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. MAFG-AS1 significantly accelerated ESCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and aerobic glycolysis. MAFG-AS1 competitively adsorbed miR-765, while miR-765 negatively modulated the expression of PDX1. miR-765 and PDX1 participated in the promotive effects of MAFG-AS1 on cell migration, invasion and aerobic glycolysis in ESCC cells.

Conclusion

Our research indicates that the MAFG-AS1/miR-765/PDX1 axis accelerates ESCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and aerobic glycolysis.

MAFG-AS1 is a novel clinical biomarker for clinical progression and unfavorable prognosis in gastric cancer

MAFG antisense 1 (MAFG-AS1) is recently identified as a novel lncRNA and serves as a tumor promoter in several types of human tumor. However, no prior study has been performed to evaluate the role of MAFG-AS1 in gastric cancer. In our study, we found MAFG-AS1 expression was increased in gastric cancer tissue samples compared with normal gastric mucosa tissue samples, and associated with poor overall survival in gastric cancer patients at The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Furthermore, we confirmed the clinical and prognostic significance of MAFG-AS1 in gastric cancer. We found gastric cancer tissues and cell lines had remarkably increased MAFG-AS1 expression in comparison to normal gastric mucosa tissues and normal human gastric epithelial cell line, and high MAFG-AS1 expression was positively associated with diffuse type, advanced clinical stage, extensive depth of invasion, more lymph node metastasis, and present distant metastasis in gastric cancer patients. Moreover, high MAFG-AS1 expression acted as one of the independent poor prognostic factors for overall survival in gastric cancer patients. The loss-of-function study showed knocking down MAFG-AS1 expression inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. In conclusion, MAFG-AS1 is probable to be a valuable prognostic biomarker, and a novel potential target for gastric cancer.