LncRNA HOXC-AS3 increases non-small cell lung cancer cell migration and invasion by sponging premature miR-96

ABSTRACT

Background

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) HOXC cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXC-AS3) has been involved in breast cancer and gastric cancer, while its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown.

Methods

The expression of HOXC-AS3 and miR-96 (both mature and premature) were detected using RT-qPCR. Nuclear fractionation assay and RNA pull-down assay were performed to detect the subcellular location of HOXC-AS3 and potential interaction with premature miR-96, respectively. Overexpression assays were performed to determine the role of HOXC-AS3 in the maturation of miR-96. Transwell assays were performed to explore the role of HOXC-AS3 and miR-96 in NSCLC cell invasion and migration.

Results

NSCLC tissues exhibited significantly increased expression levels of HOXC-AS3 and premature miR-96. HOXC-AS3 was localized to both nucleus and cytoplasm, and a direct interaction between HOXC-AS3 and premature miR-96 was observed. In NSCLC cells, HOXC-AS3 upregulated the expression of premature miR-96 but downregulated the expression of mature miR-96. Moreover, HOXC-AS3 suppressed the role of miR-96 in inhibiting NSCLC cell invasion and migration.

Conclusion

HOXC-AS3 may increase NSCLC cell growth and invasion by sponging premature miR-96 to suppress its maturation.

KEYWORDS:

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• HOXC-AS3
• miR-96
• maturation
• cell cycle

Article highlights

• The expression levels of HOXC-AS3 and premature miR-96 were increased in NSCLC tissues.

• HOXC-AS3 interacted with premature miR-96.

• HOXC-AS3 increased the expression levels of premature miR-96 but decreased the expression levels of mature miR-96.

• HOXC-AS3 suppressed the role of miR-96 in inhibiting NSCLC cell invasion and migration.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by Ethics Committee of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The study followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki, and informed written consent was obtained from all patients and controls after we explained the nature and possible consequences of the study.

Availability of Data and Material

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due research design, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Author contribution statement

L. Wan: manuscript writing, literature search and data analysis; Z. Cheng: clinical research, data analysis and statistical analysis; Q. Sun, K. Jiang: research design, manuscript review and project management; all authors reviewed, revised, and approved the manuscript for submission.

Declaration of interests

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.