Circular RNA circ_0023404 serves as a miR‐636 sponge to promote malignant behaviors in cervical cancer cells through upregulation of CYP2S1

Abstract

Abstract Cervical cancer is the most common malignant gynecological tumor. Circular RNA (circRNA) circ_0023404 is reported to be upregulated in cervical cancer cells. This aim is to explore the role and mechanism of circ_0023404 in cervical cancer. circ_0023404, microRNA‐636 (miR‐636), and cytochrome P450 2S1 (CYP2S1) levels were detected by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were detected by 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2‐H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine (EDU) assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and cytometry assay. Protein levels of cyclin D1, matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), Bcl‐2‐associated X protein (Bax), and CYP2S1 were examined by western blot assay. The binding relationship between miR‐636 and circ_0023404 or CYP2S1 was predicted by Circinteractome or targetscan, and then verified by a dual‐luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull‐down assay. circ_0023404 and CYP2S1 expression were increased, and miR‐636 was decreased in cervical cancer tissues and cells. Moreover, circ_0023404 knockdown could repress proliferation, migration, invasion, and promote apoptosis of cervical cancer cells in vitro. Mechanically, circ_0023404 could regulate CYP2S1 expression by sponging miR‐636. circ_0023404 silencing could attenuate the progression of cervical cancer cells partly by targeting the miR‐636/CYP2S1 axis, hinting at a promising therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Keywords

• cervical cancer
• circ_0023404
• CYP2S1
• miR‐636