Novel chimeric transcript RRM2-c2orf48 promotes metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Cell Death Dis. 2017 Sep 14;8(9):e3047. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2017.402.

Abstract

Recently, chimeric transcripts have been found to be associated with the pathogenesis and poor prognosis of malignant tumors. Through our preliminary experiment, a novel chimeric transcript called chimeric transcript RRM2-c2orf48 was detected in C666-1, a classical cell line of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Therefore, the objective of this study was to demonstrate the existence and expression of novel chimeric transcript RRM2-c2orf48 and to explore the main functions and mechanisms of RRM2-c2orf48 in NPC. In this study, the expression of RRM2-c2orf48 was evaluated in NPC cells and specimens. Effects of RRM2-c2orf48 on migration and invasive capacities were detected in vivo and vitro. Moreover, ways in which RRM2-c2orf48 increases the invasive capacities of NPC were explored. As a result, the presence of novel chimeric transcript RRM2-c2orf48 was confirmed in C666-1 by RT-PCR and sequencing, and it was a read-through between RRM2 and c2orf48 through the transcription of interchromosome. Higher expressions of novel RRM2-c2orf48 were detected in NPC cell lines and NPC tissue specimens relative to the controls and its expression was be statistically relevant to TNM staging. High level of RRM2-c2orf48 could increase the migration and invasive capacities of NPC cells, potentially as a result of NPC cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition. RRM2-c2orf48 could also enhance resistance of chemotherapy. In vivo, RRM2-c2orf48 could enhance lung and lymph node metastasis in nude mice. These results demonstrate that high levels of RRM2-c2orf48 expression may be a useful predictor of NPC patients of metastatic potency, presenting potential implications for NPC diagnosis and therapy.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma / genetics*
  • Carcinoma / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / genetics
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Ribonucleoside Diphosphate Reductase / genetics*
  • Ribonucleoside Diphosphate Reductase / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • ribonucleotide reductase M2
  • Ribonucleoside Diphosphate Reductase