Cancer Management and Research (May 2019)

Long noncoding RNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes the motility of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through Wnt/β-catenin pathway

  • Yang L,
  • Ye Y,
  • Chu J,
  • Jia J,
  • Qu Y,
  • Sun T,
  • Yin H,
  • Ming L,
  • Wan J,
  • He F

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 11
pp. 4425 – 4435

Abstract

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Lijun Yang,* Yafei Ye,* Jie Chu, Jinlin Jia, Yunhui Qu, Ting Sun, Huiqing Yin, Liang Ming, Junhu Wan, Fucheng HeDepartment of Medical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workBackground: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of noncoding RNA nucleotides >200 bp, has been demonstrated to play vital role in the development of cancer. FEZ family zinc finger 1 antisense RNA 1 (FEZF1-AS1) has been reported as an lncRNA which acts as a tumor-promoting effect in some cancers. However, the role of it in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its potential regulatory mechanism was unclear now.Methods: qRT-PCR was used to detect the levels of FEZF1-AS1 and mRNA CTNNB1 (β-catenin) in ESCC tissues and cells. Cell transfection experiments were used to knock down or overexpress the level of FEZF1-AS1 in EC1 and EC9706 cell lines. WST-1 assays, cell cycle assays, scratch wound assays, migration, and invasion assays were used to evaluate the function of FEZF1-AS1 in ESCC progression.Results: FEZF1-AS1 was remarkably upregulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Silencing of FEZF1-AS1 significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of ESCC cells, while overexpression of FEZF1-AS1 notably accelerated ESCC migration and invasion. Meanwhile, the levels of FEZF1-AS1 had no effect on ESCC cell proliferation and cell cycle. We also found that β-catenin was upregulated in ESCC tissues, and the level of it was positively correlated with the expression of FEZF1-AS1. Silencing of FEZF1-AS1 could decrease the mRNA and protein level of β-catenin, while overexpression FEZF1-AS1 could lead to the contrary.Conclusion: Our results suggested that the expression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 played an important role in ESCC progression, especially the motility of the tumor. FEZF1-AS1 may provide us with a new sight for ESCC treatment.Keywords: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, lncRNA, FEZF1-AS1, biological function, β-catenin

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