Effects of lentiviral-mediated Foxp1 and Foxq1 RNAi on the hepatocarcinoma cell

Abstract

Foxp1 and Foxq1 are two multifunctional molecules of “forkhead box (Fox)” family. The objective of this paper was to construct the lentiviral vectors expressing RNA interference (RNAi) against Foxp1 or Foxq1 genes, and the effects of both vectors with two RNAis on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of 7721 hepatocarcinoma cell line were evaluated. Six target sequences against human Foxp1/Foxq1 mRNA were designed respectively and six pairs of their corresponding double-strand DNA oligo (siRNA) were synthesized prior to being transfected into 7721 cells with lipo2000, then a most efficient siRNA were selected to be subcloned into pLL3.7-GFP/Lenti plasmids. These plasmids were transfected into 293T cells to package lentiviral particles for subsequent transfection into 7721 cells after their sequences were confirmed. The expression of Foxp1and Foxq1 genes in the transfected cells were identified by real-time PCR. The migration, infiltration, viability and apoptosis of the transfected cells were assessed by wound healing assay, Transwell assay, CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Sequencing results showed that lentiviral vectors contained Foxp1 or Foxq1 gene. After being transfected into 7721 cells, Foxp1 and Foxq1 expression were significantly down-regulated by siRNA-823 and siRNA-834. The migration and infiltration ability, and the viability of 7721 cells transfected with two siRNAs were significantly suppressed; flow cytometry assay exhibited the apoptosis rate of transfected 7721 cells with the lentivirus RNAi vector of Foxp1 or Foxq1 was increased. All the results showed that the lentivirus RNAi vectors of Foxp1 and Foxq1 were able to inhibit the expression of Foxp1 and Foxq1 in 7721 cells efficiently, and the down-regulation of either Foxp1 or Foxq1 resulted in suppression of migration, infiltration and viability of 7721 cells and an increase in cell apoptosis. Our data indicated that both Foxp1 and Foxq1 genes played an oncogenic role in hepatocarcinoma cells, which proposed the two genes as new therapeutic targets for the cancer.