Cell Death and Disease (May 2021)

Long non-coding RNA TUG1/microRNA-187-3p/TESC axis modulates progression of pituitary adenoma via regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway

  • Rui Zhang,
  • Fan Yang,
  • Haitao Fan,
  • Haocong Wang,
  • Qinghao Wang,
  • Jianxin Yang,
  • Tao Song

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-03812-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 6
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract The molecule mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in human diseases have been broadly studied recently, therefore, our research aimed to assess the effect of lncRNA taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1)/miR-187-3p/tescalcin (TESC) axis in pituitary adenoma (PA) by regulating the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. We observed that TUG1 was upregulated in PA tissues and was associated with invasion, knosp grade and tumor size. TUG1 particularly bound to miR-187-3p. TUG1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition, promoted apoptosis, and regulated the expression of NF-κB p65 and inhibitor of κB (IκB)-α in PA cells lines in vitro, and also inhibited tumor growth in vivo, and these effects were reversed by miR-187-3p reduction. Similarly, miR-187-3p elevation inhibited PA cell malignant behaviors and modulated the expression of NF-κB p65 and IκB-α in PA cells, and reduced in vivo tumor growth as well. TUG1 inhibition downregulated TESC, which was targeted by miR-187-3p. In conclusion, this study suggests that TUG1 sponges miR-187-3p to affect PA development by elevating TESC and regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.