LncRNA-AF113014 promotes the expression of Egr2 by interaction with miR-20a to inhibit proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

PLoS One. 2017 May 19;12(5):e0177843. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177843. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), tentatively identified as non-protein coding RNA, are transcripts more than 200nt in length and accounting for 98% of the whole genome of human being. Accumulating evidence showed aberrant expressions of lncRNAs are strongly correlated to the development of cancers. In this study, AF113014 is a new lncRNA identified from Microarray. We found AF113014 is differentially expressed between HCC cell lines and normal hepatocytes. Functionally, AF113014 inhibited proliferation of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo, whereas the opposite effect was observed when AF113014 knockdown. Moreover, we identified that Egr2, a tumor suppressor gene, was a downstream target gene of AF113014. Furthermore, we discovered that AF113014 up-regulated Egr2 expression through interacting with miR-20a by using dual-luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. Our data provides a new insight for understanding the mechanisms of HCC.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Early Growth Response Protein 2 / genetics
  • Early Growth Response Protein 2 / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • EGR2 protein, human
  • Early Growth Response Protein 2
  • MIRN20a microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • RNA, Long Noncoding

Grants and funding

The Major National S&T Program (2013ZX10002002, ALH), the major project of Chongqing Science & Technology Commission (cstc2013jcyjC10002, ALH), the Natural Science Foundation Project of CQ CSTC (2010BB5359, ALH), the Nature Science Foundation of China (81471946, ALH).