Long non-coding RNA LINC01296 acts as a migration and invasion promoter in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and predicts poor prognosis

ABSTRACT

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) can participate in gene expression regulation. LINC01296 is abnormally expressed in different tumors and promotes tumorigenesis and development. However, the role of LINC01296 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains not entirely clear. Thus, to explore LINC01296 expression, biological function and potential mechanism in HNSCC, we used GEPIA and GEO database. QRT-PCR was used to detect the knockout efficiency by LINC01296 inhibition with siRNA. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration and invasion capacity of tumor cells. Then enrichment and immunophenotype correlation analyses were carried out to explore the LINC01296 mechanism in HNSCC. To investigate why LINC01296 was up-regulated in HNSCC, DNA methylation analysis was performed using the DiseaseMeth database. LINC01296 expression was notably up-regulated in HNSCC, which was associated with promoter hypomethylation. Also, it was positively correlated with the HNSCC pathological stage and patients with higher LINC01296 expression levels had a poor prognosis. LINC01296 silencing inhibits HNSCC cell migration and invasion. LINC01296 also participate in the HNSCC progression mainly through protein phosphorylation and microtubule-based process regulation. Overall, LINC01296 was highly expressed in HNSCC, promoted tumor cells’ migration and invasion, and might be a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker in HNSCC patients.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Long non-coding RNA
• LINC01296
• head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
• migration
• invasion
• prognosis

Highlights

1. LINC01296 expression was upregulated in HNSCC tissues.

2. The LINC01296 upregulation was associated with HNSCC patients’ poor prognosis.

3. LINC01296 silencing suppressed HNSCC cells migration and invasion in vitro.

4. There were significant positive correlations between LINC01296 expression and TMB, MSI, MMRs.

5. The LINC01296 overexpression was related to promoter hypomethylation.

6. LINC01296 can be a good HNSCC diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

The data supporting the findings reported in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Authors’ contributions

Jing Wu and Jun Cao mainly performed the experiments and analyzed the data. Jing wu and Hua Chen wrote the paper. Jingjing Li and Xiaoyu Li helped analyze the data. Jun Cao and Min Qi carried out the experiment design and manuscript drafting. All authors edited and approved the final manuscript.

List of abbreviations

HNSCC: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; NPC: nasopharyngeal carcinoma; OSCC:oral squamous carcinoma; RPMI: Roswell Park Memorial Institute; DMEM:Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium; FBS:fetal bovine serum; siRNA:; qRT-PCR:quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; GEO:gene expression omnibus; GEPIA:Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis; TCGA:The Cancer Genome Atlas; HR:Hazard rate; AUC: Area under the curve; CTR:Control; TMB: tumor mutation burden; MSI: Microsatellite Instability; MMR: Mismatch repair; MMRs: Mismatch repair system.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by Shenzhen Longhua District Medical and Health Institution District Level Scientific Research Project (number: 2021124) and Construction Funds of Key Medical Disciplines in Longhua District, Shenzhen (Contract grant number:MKD202007090212).