LINC01977 promotes colorectal cancer growth and metastasis by enhancing aerobic glycolysis via the ERK/c-Myc axis.

Abstract

How colorectal cancer (CRC) gain the ability to growth and metastasis remains largely unknown. Findings from preceding studies have revealed the participation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in CRC progression. However, the role of LINC01977 in CRC remains unexplored. This study aims to explore the function and underlying mechanism of LINC01977 in CRC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were used to analyze the expression of LINC01977 in CRC and its correlation with CRC prognosis. In our research, we explored the influence of LINC01977 on CRC progression such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and aerobic glycolysis, and identified its fundamental molecular mechanism using in vitro CRC cell lines and in vivo mouse xenograft models. LINC01977 exhibited significantly elevated expression in CRC tissues and cell lines, and its level was significantly correlated with malignant clinicopathological characteristics and negative prognosis. Furthermore, both in vivo and in vitro tests revealed LINC01977's role in facilitating CRC cell proliferation and metastasis. LINC01977's significant part in CRC aerobic glycolysis was also discovered. With an aim to uncover the underlying mechanism, we investigated LINC01977's effect on c-Myc, a key gene in glycolysis. The results showed that LINC01977 regulated c-Myc stability via extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mediated phosphorylation, and LINC01977-mediated c-Myc activated the level of vital glycolysis-related genes such as HK2, PGK1, LDHA, and GLUT1. Rescue experiments further confirmed that LINC01977 promoted CRC proliferation, metastasis, and aerobic glycolysis via c-Myc. This study is the first to report that LINC01977 facilitates CRC proliferation, metastasis, and aerobic glycolysis through c-Myc, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for CRC treatment.